Jim Davidson Speaker Biography
Resilience Expert, Author, Adventure Speaker, and Expedition Leader
Jim Davidson is a resilience expert and professional speaker who provides presentations about personal resilience, resilient teamwork and resilient leadership. He speaks to top-quality organizations like Marriott, National Geographic, US Army, Nokia, UPS, Nationwide Insurance, OppenheimerFunds, and more. Jim shares stories, lessons and techniques for overcoming adversity and reaching high goals. Jim has presented inspirational keynotes and workshops at international sales conferences, leadership retreats, and corporate meetings for 14 years.
Books
Jim co-authored the New York Times best-selling survival memoir, The Ledge: An Inspirational Story of Friendship and Survival. The Ledge was picked one of the Best Books of the Year by Amazon and it won the National Outdoor Book Award for Outdoor Literature. The Ledge tells the epic story of how Jim escaped alone from being trapped 80 feet down inside a glacial crevasse. His survival story is so amazing that it was also made into a one-hour episode of the hit international TV show โI Shouldnโt Be Aliveโ on the Discovery Channel. Written with Kevin Vaughan, The Ledge is available in paperback, e-book and audiobook (narrated by Jim). Jimโs latest book is The Next Everest: Surviving the Mountainโs Deadliest Day and Finding the Resilience to Climb Again.
High-Altitude Climber
Jim summited Mount Everest in 2017. He has been a climber and expedition leader for over 36 years. Jim has climbed high peaks on five continents, from Argentina to Nepal, and from Tanzania to Tibet. With his teammates, Jim has conducted multiple rescues of sick and injured climbers. Twice Jim has been recognized by the US National Park service for his successful volunteer rescue efforts.
Media
Jim survived earthquakes and avalanches on Mt. Everest in 2015. He shared his incredible experiences and insights from that with CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC, Smithsonian Channel, PBS and many other media.
Education
Before becoming a professional keynote speaker, Jim worked 20 years as an environmental geologist (B.S. & M.S. degrees) cleaning up oil and gasoline spills. Jim facilitated scientific workshops and training sessions for Shell Oil, U.S. EPA, BP and many other corporations & governmental agencies.
Jim helped teach about 800 elementary school kids how to rock climb. He has co-led university students on ice climbing trips and international expeditions. Originally from Massachusetts, he worked there as an industrial painter of high-voltage electrical towers. He is fortunate to have two adventurous kids and an enthusiastic hiking partner named Jake the Wonder Dog. Jim lives in Colorado with his very tolerant wife!
Virtual Presentations
Jim has conducted virtual presentations for small companies, international corporations, and multi-location associations. His energetic presentations engage your virtual audience with compelling videos and unique props (climbing gear).
Jim Davidson Speaking Topics
EVEREST RESILIENCE: Overcoming Adversity and Reaching High Goals
Work, life, and mountain climbing always include change, challenge, and uncertainty. From his four decades of adventures around the globe, Jim Davidson shares hard-won wisdom about forging resilience, encountering setbacks, and still achieving high goals. In this riveting keynote, Jim shares his real-world survival experiences of: โข Enduring the deadliest day ever on Mount Everest, when huge earthquakes and avalanches trapped Jim and his team at 19,900 feet. โข Recovering from this disaster and returning two years later to summit Mt. Everest. โข Escaping from the 80-foot-deep hidden glacial crevasse that swallowed Jim and killed his climbing partner on Mount Rainier. Your attendees will learn practical lessons on how they can: โข Cultivate a resilient mindset for managing change. โข Spark resilience in each other during stormy times. โข Provide resilient leadership, even when the path forward is unclear. โข Rebound from setbacks even stronger than before, through post-traumatic growth.
CLIMBING MOUNTAINS OF CHANGE: Elevating Your Teamโs Resilience
Many businesspeople feel overwhelmed by global changes, resource challenges, and market uncertainties. All of these, combined with high client expectations, can create fatigue, stress, or burnout. To keep climbing these mountains of change, professionals need to elevate their resilience. From his 42 years of high-altitude climbing experiences (including Everest), expedition leader Jim Davidson shares field-tested tips for building a resilient mindset. He shares practical tips and techniques on how your team can: โข Accept uncertainty. โข Adapt to changes. โข Endure the inevitable storms. โข Stay summit-driven while avoiding dangerous โsummit feverโ. In this compelling keynote, Jim reveals resilient teamwork and leadership techniques for: Being trustworthy. โข Amplifying resilience in others. โข Preparing for false summits. โข Nurturing Post-Traumatic Growth for the opportunities ahead. NOTE: This keynote connects especially well with fiscal services organizations and high-level sales teams. Since 2006, Jim has spoken to hundreds of such teams, both nationally and internationally, because the traits that make great high-altitude climbers also make excellent sales professionals.
RESILIENT TEAMWORK AND RESILIENT LEADERSHIP
As an expedition leader, Jim has encountered many intense teamwork and leadership challenges. During remote climbs and rescues, the pressure increases, uncertainty grows, and team dynamics can become strained. High-performing organizations face these same teamwork and leadership conditions in todayโs fast-paced, ever-changing world. By examining real-world mountain rescues, that Jim has conducted, he facilitates an invigorating, interactive workshop that has your team working together to resolve complex leadership and teamwork challenges. Some of the difficult rescues that Jim has been on include: โข Solo mountaineer critically ill at 19,200 feet on Denali (Mt. McKinley). โข Hiker severely injured by falling 70 feet off a cliff at 13,000 feet in Colorado. โข Climbers trapped by earthquakes and avalanches at 19,900 feet on Everest. In this hands-on session, Jim uses engaging storytelling and powerful visuals to bring these amazing experiences to life for your attendees. Then, he guides the participants to analyze the situation and distill crucial resilience lessons that they can use to be better team members and leaders. Your team will: โข Debate what traits make a team member resilient. โข Identify characteristics that a resilient leader should display. โข Examine their own resilience strengths and weaknesses. This engaging workshop includes interactive modules with small-group discussion, large-group facilitation, and individual self-reflection. Jimโs well-refined process enhances mutual understanding and relationship-building among work colleagues. Each person walks away with an individual written self-analysis and specific ways that they can enhance their resilience at work or home. Also, by recording all the key traits identified during the discussions, the process distills your team's collective ideas on what makes a resilient team member and a resilient leader. This critical insight can be used later in internal communications and for enhancing corporate culture. Attendees vigorously engage with the process because these are real challenges (not board games or simulations). Jim regularly facilitates this energizing program for top-quality organizations like Marriott, Credit Suisse, US Army, Kia Motors, and many more.
Jim Davidson Books
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The Next Everest: Surviving the Mountainโs Deadliest Day and Finding the Resilience to Climb Again
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The Ledge: An Adventure Story of Friendship and Survival on Mount Rainier
Purchase BookJim Davidson Videos
Jim Davidson Articles
Jim Davidson Speaker Testimonials
"Jimโs keynote was amazing. I know our entire group was blown away by his perseverance and his resiliency. I heard a couple of people talk about how he had set the bar so high and how they had nothing to complain about after listening to him. So I would say we really enjoyed it!! Thank you."
- | All Weather Windows
โThe many times I have heard Jim speak I am always amazed at how he can completely captivate his audience. He gets his listeners to apply lessons from his story to their own life situations. I have recommended Jim to numerous groups and clients and all have been extremely pleased.โ
- Tammy Page | Director of National Sales, The BROADMOOR
โSeveral long term committee members commented that this was the best retreat that theyโve attended. This is a hard group to please, so we are thrilled that your presentation was so well received.โ
- Jolene McNeil | CMP, Meeting Manager, Industrial Supply Association
โWhat an incredible story. You could hear a pin drop during his presentation.โ
- Caesers/Ballyโs/Harrahโs | Vice President of Convention/Hotel Sales