Jim Lawless Keynote Speaker

Global bestselling author of Taming Tigers and creator of the DARE Loop framework
Adviser to global organisations including Apple, Microsoft, Diageo and BAE Systems
British freediving record-breaker who reached 101 metres on a single breath

Jim Lawless's Biography

Jim Lawless believes that speed is a critical competitive advantage; optimising for adaptability and accepting uncertainty is how we win in volatility.

He works behind the scenes with CEOs and their senior leaders to re-architect how decisions are owned and made throughout the organisation, allowing for speed and uncertainty; learning and unlearning, and encouraging correct decisions and actions to deliver the strategy – even when errors are made in the early phases.

His client list includes Apple, Microsoft, Diageo, Bayer, BAE Systems, Novartis and VW Group. He is the author of the global bestseller Taming Tigers (Penguin Random House).

He has delivered keynotes on his DARE Loop framework and Second Strategy architecture to well over a million people across five continents and is ranked among the world’s leading business speakers by Global Gurus.

Jim’s credo is that performance and change are extremely emotionally testing for the individual and for those who would lead them, with discipline, through uncertainty to bold new ambitions. They are not academic pursuits or cascaded strategy decks.

He tests his frameworks at the extreme edge. He became the deepest freediver in British history in just eight months with a dive to 101 metres on a single breath; he moved from non-rider to televised jockey in twelve months.

Both were deliberate applications of the DARE Loop methodology. Both ran alongside his day job and his most important role, fatherhood.

As a speaker, Jim leaves behind a precise, practical and simple map that audiences use to navigate uncertainty, swapping ownership and action for hesitation and escalation, for many years after the event.

As an architect of strategy implementation, he walks beside clients to create tangible success stories, together.

Jim worked as a City of London commercial solicitor before moving into high-performance and change. He was elected a Fellow of the UK’s Royal Society for the Arts in recognition of his business writing.

The DARE Loop: How to Deliver the Impossible

In this high-impact keynote, Jim explores overcoming fear and acting boldly amidst uncertainty to achieve ambitious goals. He shares strategies for navigating challenges and pushing beyond perceived limits.

Attendees learn practical techniques to confront their fears, embrace bold actions, and tackle significant objectives they once thought unattainable.

The Next Dimension of Leadership

Jim guides attendees in creating agile, curious, and empowered organisations, contrasting them with outdated command-and-control structures.

He addresses the challenge of cultivating a culture that can adapt to an uncertain future, equipping participants to lead effectively in an ever-changing landscape.

High Performance Under Pressure

Jim helps organisations build the mental frameworks and team disciplines required to sustain high performance when stakes are highest.

Practical tools for resilience, focus, and bold decision-making under pressure.

How to Lead Others Through Disruption & Uncertainty

Jim equips leaders with the strategies to guide their people through change — managing both the practical and emotional dimensions of disruption, reducing resistance, and building genuine commitment to a new direction.

He helps leaders turn strategy into action by making faster decisions, embracing uncertainty and building organisations that can adapt without becoming trapped by hesitation or unnecessary escalation.
His DARE Loop framework gives individuals and teams a practical method for learning, unlearning and taking ownership, allowing them to keep moving even when early decisions do not produce perfect results.
His Second Strategy architecture focuses on how decisions are actually owned and made throughout an organisation, helping senior leaders create the conditions for speed, accountability and effective execution.
He has applied his approach with organisations including Apple, Microsoft, Diageo, Bayer, BAE Systems, Novartis and Volkswagen Group, and is the author of the global bestseller Taming Tigers.
He tests his ideas personally as well as professionally. Using his own methodology, he became the deepest freediver in British history with a 101-metre dive on a single breath and went from non-rider to televised jockey in just twelve months.

Videos of Jim Lawless

The DARE Loop™️ - Jim Lawless Live Onstage

Books by Jim Lawless

Taming Tigers: Do things you never thought you could by Jim Lawless

Comments & Testimonials

A truly inspirational session with Jim, one which has firmly embedded the notion of a 'Growth Mindset' within the group. Extraordinary day!

Craig Bowman General Manager, Kimberly-Clark

Jim transforms, motivates, enthuses, and moves an audience within minutes. He is THE person you need if you want to introduce creative, out-of-the-box thinking.

Karsten Jung Lifecycle Leader, Roche

It exceeded expectations in so many ways. A standing ovation is not given lightly by our European Leadership Team — a true testament to the value you brought to our conference.

Sinead Collins HR Director European Cereal & Marketing, Kellogg Company

Jim delivered energy, inspiration and wisdom. He had our people thinking differently and challenging themselves, which has had a lasting impact on the business.

Katie Kingston Head of Marketing and Communications, Vygon