Devon Harris

Devon Harris Speaking Topics

• Keep On Pushing®

  A highly customizable, entertaining program, in which Devon effectively shows how the process of pushing a bobsled is analogous to the success journey of life; how the process demands that in order for a team or organization to grow and change, EVERYONE on the team must embrace growth and change.

  Devon’s presentation strongly affirms that to harness continuous success every part of an organization needs consistently high levels of:

  • clear vision and purpose
  • passionate personal effort
  • teamwork, and
  • the grit and persistence to "keep on pushing."

  Devon illustrates his points by sharing the improbable journey that propelled him out of the violent ghettos of Kingston, Jamaica; to Sandhurst; to the Olympics; to international recognition (with the Disney blockbuster Cool Runnings). By enriching his inspiring story with humor, compassion, personal charisma, and real-life how-to guidance, Devon engages audiences from the moment he greets them to his final, distinctive Olympic bobsledder call for them to "keep on pushing!" The man and his message are very well suited for opening or closing keynote presentations.

  Audience takeaways include:

  • clarified vision
  • invigorated individual and team purpose
  • a new or renewed appreciation for synergy and collaboration
  • permission to relentlessly pursue solutions for all challenges

• Developing A Resilient Mindset

  A highly engaging, high energy, high impact program in which Devon Harris demonstrates how to develop a resilient mindset and improve performance in a fast-paced world, swirling in a sea of uncertainty.

  The presentation provides a POWER BOOST for the audience as Devon shares lessons learned during his personal journey, going from ghetto struggle to graduate of the most prestigious military training school in the world.

  He also shares the tools that he has seen at work with athletes in the Olympics — the same ones he used with his soldiers as an army captain to help them become mentally tough so that they no longer felt deflated or even defeated but confident and determined.

  Devon shares the tools that he and other Olympic athletes and military leaders employ to stay confident and focused in the face of adversity, temporary setbacks, or defeat.

  Audience takeaways include how to:

  • take personal responsibility regardless of the uncontrollable event impacting them
  • reframe an experience in order to reduce stress and feel empowered
  • Bounce back from setbacks, frustration, or the occasional out-right failure.

• The Captain’s Toolbox: Developing Essential Leadership Traits

  Leadership isn’t defined by the job title, expertise, or years of experience. It’s about developing the perspective, skills and personal style to get results that matter. Even "born leaders" don't know or portray all the right traits or decisions at the starting line. We are all works in progress who can transform ourselves into effective leaders and more vital and valuable resources to our organizations. Expanding on the idea that “leaders are made not born” and building on the lessons he learned as a military leader and Olympic team captain, Devon's program:

  • focuses on individual development
  • affirms that those empowered to manage, supervise or direct others can continuously learn, grow and change.
  • equips attendees with the knowledge and skills to recognize their own strengths and weaknesses to quickly become more adroit leaders
  • presents proven techniques and methods that help leaders become more effective in guiding their teams to genuinely buy in and reach their goals on or ahead of schedule.

  Audience takeaways include how to:

  • Inspire through authentic communication
  • genuinely empower others
  • become and stay a role model.

• Hot Lessons from Cool Runnings – Coaching for Personal and Professional Success

  In this program Devon Harris skillfully weaves the real life improbable inspirational story of the Jamaica bobsled team with the entertaining portrayal of the Disney blockbuster Cool Runnings. He highlights some of the powerful life lessons he and his teammates learned along the way – lessons the audience can immediately apply to both their personal and professional lives. Suitable as an opening or closing keynote.

  Some of these lessons and many more can also be found in Devon's book Hot Lessons from Cool Runnings.

  Audience takeaways include how to:

  • conquer fear
  • employ the extraordinary power of visualization to achieve success
  • build self-esteem and confidence and reach your goals
  • define success on your own terms
  • persist in the face of insurmountable odds

• The Power and Magic of Teamwork

  This inspiring message sees Devon drawing on his personal experiences as the Captain of the Jamaican Bobsled Team and a former Sandhurst-trained Captain in the Jamaica Defence Force, to show how working collaboratively facilitates group/team, individual professional, and personal non-work related success.

  The key ingredients for this power and magic elixir include:

  • defining and owning a clear vision
  • empowering leadership, and
  • having a process of self-evaluation and persistence

  Using humor, engaging stories and powerful insights, Devon translates the challenges and triumphs of being in the military and competing in the Olympics into lessons and insights that will inspire them to your team to perform at reach peak levels as a team. Suitable as an opening or closing keynote.

  The audience will learn how:

  • a clear vision allows a team to remain motivated, become remarkably efficient, and control the direction of change.
  • to identify their noble purpose – the far-reaching benefits of the mundane things they do daily.
  • to transform their organization by growing their capacity to lead.
  • to use the process of self-evaluation to help them move towards their full potential.