John Izzo

Biography

Dr. John Izzo sees and feels the goodness many of us aspire to. As an author, community leader and inspiring speaker he has worked hard to talk about the essential elements of Leadership and the new frontier of that ever changing role. His interests are Development as it pertains to the individual as well at the company, Corporate Culture and the pursuit of creating places that support the individual as well as the corporate vision, and Personal Well-being in the fight to balance work and life.

Dr. John Izzo has more than 19 years experience working in a wide variety of corporate settings. His clients include nonprofit organizations, Fortune 500 companies, Healthcare Organizations and mid-size companies. Over the last two decades, John Izzo has married his first career as a minister with his second career as a management & leadership consultant to help leaders create corporations and organizations where values and purpose are the foundations for success. Dr. Izzo spent five years as a senior organizational development consultant for Kaiser Permanente, and 4 years as Vice President of The Einstein Consulting Group, an international customer service consultancy prior to establishing his own firm. Currently he focuses on helping leaders and organizations reach sustainable success through the integration of purposeful leadership and business practices.

John Izzo obtained his Bachelor of Sociology from Hofstra University in 1978 before completing a dual Masters degree from McCormick Divinity School in Theology while simultaneously attending the University of Chicago to complete his Masters in Organizational Psychology. Dr. Izzo then completed his Ph.D. in Organizational Communication from Kent State University shortly thereafter. He is the author of over 60 articles, and is the co-author of the best selling book "Awakening Corporate Soul: Four Paths to Unleash the Power of People at Work" and its companion workbook. His pioneering work has been featured on CNN, ABC World News, the LA Times, Canada AM, CBC Radio, The American Medical Journal, B.C. Business, The Seattle Times and the cover of Association Management Magazine on "Creating Inspiring Work Places". His second book "Values-Shift: The New Work Ethic and What it Means for Business" (Prentice-Hall) defines how and why our work ethic is changing, and it focuses on the six major shifts people expect from work. As well, if offers practical ideas on what companies and managers can do to retain and inspire the people they need and value. Based on leading edge research and experiences with more than 200 companies, John Izzo helps people understand these shifting values and how they differ across generations and across gender. In 2004 Berrett Koehler published John`s third non-fiction book titled "Second Innocence: Rediscovering Joy and Wonder". It is a powerful book that blends personal stories with Dr. Izzo`s thoughts on work, spirituality, relationships and daily life.

Publications

The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die

"In my experience, the two things humans want most are to find happiness and to find meaning," Izzo writes. In this ready-made spiritual quest, the business consultant and ordained Presbyterian minister interviewed more than 200 people from ages 60 to 106. The answers they received led him and his team to the belief that there are five secrets to happiness. Izzo`s interviewees were selected after relatives and friends submitted their names as wise people with something to teach. The list was narrowed from 1,000 names to a diverse group that includes men and women, Muslims and Christians, doctors, barbers, priests, and aboriginal people.

Throughout the book, Izzo presents each lesson with heartfelt responses and anecdotes from these wise elders to illustrate how living each lesson has made them fulfilled and unafraid of death. "Just be yourself" has been the advice of every parent since Polonius. Izzo found that the simple phrase, "be true to yourself," is the first secret. Seventy-two-year-old Elsa told the author, "In order to tell a person the secret to happiness, I would have to sit down with them, look them deeply in the eyes, find out who they are, find out what their dreams are." A college professor discussed with him the difference he sees every day between his students who are following their dreams and those who aren`t. Izzo also explains that the word "sin" comes from an ancient Greek word related to archery that literally means "to miss the mark." He believes that to sin, in the original sense of the word, means to "miss the mark of what you intended your life to be." After "leave no regrets," "become love," and "live the moment," the book`s final secret is "give more than you take." As George, a seventy-one-year-old physicist, put it, "sooner or later you realize that you are not going to take anything with you but you can leave something behind." Each chapter ends with questions that encourage readers to think about the way they are living their own lives, such as, "Did I make the world a better place this week in some small way?"

In a society where old age is often seen as weakness, The Five Secrets is a refreshing reminder that our elders have much to teach. Izzo writes, "Whenever I am going to take a trip, I choose hotels by using a website that taps into the experiences of hundreds of other travelers ... It occurred to me that one could apply this same method to discovering the secrets to living well and dying happy." How many pitfalls and heartaches could be avoided if we consulted with travelers who have taken the road before?

Titles

Leading In Tough Times: Engaging Your People During Change
How do we keep people engaged and motivated during tough economic times? What are the keys to keeping people on side and leading them through change? This session will explore the keys to leading people during tough times and engaging them through change. The session will help leaders understand what people need in changing times and practical ways to engage people during such times. Filled with real life examples from working with over 600 companies, Dr. Izzo will help your leaders learn the secrets to companies that navigate tough times effectively. Among other things, leaders will learn: How to keep people focused on the long term? How to engage people in change so that they help you stay successful and don`t act like victims? How to keep a climate of recognition and success even when things are tough? What are the five things people need from leaders during times of change and how can leaders deliver it? How to become the employer of choice when things are tough?

The Buzz Factor: What Great Workplaces Teach Us & How to Become One
Some workplaces have a "buzz," a definable, palpable energy that makes people want to commit and do their best. Buzz is hard to define but we all know it when we experience it. It is characterized by high commitment, passionate belief, deep trust, and a tremendous sense of pride. We have heard about such workplaces, but what is their secret? Why do some companies and organizations have what some have called "magic." In this keynote, Dr. Izzo shares a lifetime of learning from working with and researching many of these unique places where passionate commitment reigns as normal everyday reality. He will help leaders and colleagues understand the key factors that create "buzz," gain practical ideas on how to create it, and be inspired to strive to become one of those truly engaging places to work.

Building Your Business Through Engaging Your People
The key to business success and growth is to have engaged people who will be great ambassadors for your business. In this program Dr. Izzo focuses on how business owners and leaders can build the business through highly engaged employees who are passionate about the business, who know what matters and deliver it to customers and clients on a consistent basis.

Spirited Teamwork: Everyone is Responsible
Successful teams and successful organizations are places where every associate is responsible for creating a great place to work where excellence and high morale drive success. But what are the keys to spirited teamwork? How does each team member create a place of truly spirited teamwork? Dr. Izzo shares insights and practical ideas on how each person can become responsible for a great workplace. This program has been successfully given to entire companies, large divisions and associates at many levels in a wide variety of industries. Clients often speak about how associates come back on "fire" for their role in creating a better team and a better workplace.

A Sustainable Future: The Challenge of Our Generation
Sustainability has become one of the emerging global issues of our time. From melting Arctic Ice to disappearing forests, there are signs everywhere that we must meet this challenge. Dr. Izzo shows how sustainability is not one challenge among many but THE challenge of our generation akin to the war the last generation fought to free the world from tyranny. Many talks on sustainability leave attendees discouraged but this program will leave your people inspired, challenged and stepping up to make a difference. This program helps individuals find the truth amidst all the noise about the challenges that we face and leaves everyone knowing how we can meet the challenge ahead. Using beautiful images, startling facts and inspiring examples of how we are already stepping up to meet the challenge of our generation, this program works for every level of the organization or for clients.

The Green Advantage: Making Your Business a Sustainable Leader
Surveys show that an increasing number of consumers and employees rank the environment and sustainability near the top of their list. What`s more, companies that take the "green challenge" can save costs while gaining a real advantage in the marketplace. But how does a company go "green" and become a sustainability leader? Dr. Izzo brings twenty-five years of experience helping companies to help your organization understand the advantages of sustainability while implementing practical steps to become a sustainability leader in your industry.

Business & the Green Challenge: How Business Will Save The Planet
If you are tired of "green talks" that beat up on business, this talk is for you. Business is often blamed for damaging the environment but in this program Dr. John Izzo shows that business is and must lead the way to meet the challenge of sustainability. He shows how individuals cannot do enough alone and why government is important but unable to meet the challenge. Through inspiring examples, startling facts, personal stories and practical ideas, your audience will leave seeing the important role businesses and corporate leaders will play in meeting the sustainability challenge.

The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die
What are the keys to a purposeful, successful, and fulfilling life? What must we discover about life before it is too late? Dr. John Izzo interviewed over 200 people from the age of 60-106 and asked them to reflect back on their lives. What did they learn? What would they do differently? What brought the greatest happiness and meaning? What were the important crossroads and the decisions they made and what did they regret?

Creating the Passionate Workplace:
Over the last several years, an increasing number of organizations and leaders have become interested in creating more spirited, soulful workplaces. Indeed, the deepest commitment comes from those who experience work as more than a way to make a living but as an expression of their values and desires to contribute. In this keynote, Dr. Izzo will explore four paths to finding more purpose and success and will help leaders at all levels discover practical ways to create more spirit for themselves and their teams. Based on his groundbreaking book Awakening Corporate Soul: Four Paths to Unleash the Power of People at Work. (FairWinds Press 1997)

The Teacher`s Heart: Rediscovering the Joy & Wonder of Teaching
Teaching a great profession and also one where teacher burnout is an ongoing challenge. Research shows that teachers who maintain passion and enthusiasm are more successful with students and have more career satisfaction. But how do teachers keep joy and wonder in their work? What are the keys to ongoing teacher vitality? Dr. Izzo explores the concept of the teacher`s heart, and ways teachers keep a sense of purpose and wonder in their work and the classroom. Rooted in his own life as a teacher, Dr. Izzo will touch the heart, challenge the mind, and leave teachers with valuable methods for renewing their work as teachers.

Awakening the Spirit of Education
Amidst all the tasks at work, we often forget that creating joyful, purposeful workplaces is a central role for leaders in education. When the soul is awake and joy is present, many of the most challenging outcomes we seek-better student scores, teacher engagement and school morale-become attainable. But how do we awaken the spirit amidst the many challenges facing educators today? In this session, Dr. Izzo will inspire your heart, challenge your mind, and bring fresh ideas on creating soul at work