Jim Ferrell — Bestselling Author and Thought Leader
Millions of people around the world have read his books, but most of them don't even know his name.
When Jim Ferrell co-founded his previous company, the Arbinger Institute, its work was still largely unknown in the world. The solution was apparent: They needed a book.
In 2000, having never written much beyond legal documents during his first career as a lawyer, Jim and a colleague took on that task out of a mix of curiosity and commitment to the work of the company. What emerged from that first trial run as an author was one of the bestselling leadership books of all time: Leadership and Self-Deception.
Following the incredible success of that first book, Jim went on to author additional books under the name of the Arbinger Institute, including The Anatomy of Peace and, in collaboration with colleagues, The Outward Mindset. Other titles he authored were Arbinger's series of Choice books, Choose Well, Angels Among Us, and Anasazi Foundation's The Seven Paths: Changing One's Way of Walking in the World. Jim also authored several spiritual books, including The Peacegiver, The Holy Secret, and Falling To Heaven. Along with Brené Brown, Patrick Lencioni, Simon Sinek, and John Maxwell, he is also a contributing author to Ken Blanchard’s bestselling book, Servant Leadership in Action. In his latest book, You and We: A Relational Rethinking of Work, Life, and Leadership, he manages once again to take the reader on a journey of discovery, transformation, and a new understanding of what it means to be a human being, and a leader, in a world where everything is connected.
In 2021, Jim founded his 2.0 company, Withiii Leadership. He and his colleagues help people, organizations, and communities to implement the ideas and insights about human and organizational connectivity that he explores in You and We—a groundbreaking approach that tackles leadership and organizational issues through the lens of our fundamental relationality rather than through the individualistic approaches that inform most leadership and organizational theories.
Jim Ferrell's entire life's work and writing revolves around bridging divides and bringing people together. He has explored this topic from many different angles, combining fundamental lessons from philosophy, quantum physics, biology, spirituality, and organizational theory to get to the bottom of the meaning and significance of human relation. Over his nearly three decades as a thought leader, he has developed a reputation as one of the world’s great innovators in the areas of leadership, culture change, conflict resolution, communication, and interpersonal connection. He has a unique ability to grasp complex ideas and translate them into elegantly clear models and applications.
Jim has degrees in economics and philosophy and is a graduate of Yale Law School. After graduating from Yale, he joined the California Bar and practiced law at Latham and Watkins. He is a past member of the Yale Law School Executive Committee and served on the Board of Advisors of the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University, where he also taught as an adjunct professor on the topic of law and leadership. He is the recipient of multiple awards on peacebuilding.
In his free time, he enjoys cycling, golfing, and traveling with his business partner and best friend, woh also happens to be his wife.
A message from Jim on his new book, You and We
You and We is a culmination of all I have learned over my years researching, training, advising, and mentoring leaders and working with them to transform their organizational ecosystems. In a way, it is a powerful 2.0 to my earlier works—a work that attempts to correct misconceptions and move understanding and application forward in even more dynamic directions. It details not only the best way I have learned to lead and run organizations, but also the best method for stitching the human family together in the face of our many threats.
