James O. Rodgers
James O. Rodgers (born December 1948) is an American futurist, strategist, and thought leader who writes, speaks, and coaches on effective workplace dynamics.
Early life and career
James O. Rodgers was born in Columbus, Georgia, and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. He is an alumnus of Louisville Male High School. After college, he was hired by the Bell System in their Initial Management Development Program (IMDP). He was the first Black to be promoted to District Manager in the nine-state southeastern region of the Bell System. [1]
After leaving corporate life, he has been a trusted advisor (behind the scenes) for dozens of executive teams and a speaker/consultant to over 350 enterprises. He became known as The Diversity Coach[2] and led dozens of large-scale change efforts involving diversity. He was the go-to advisor for several large companies facing discrimination lawsuits (Coca-Cola, Georgia Power, J&J, et al.). In each case, he provided counsel which saved the companies significant fines and exposure.
He is a prolific writer and thought leader on diversity management. His published writings are read globally in the UK, Australia, India, the Philippines, and South America. He has published three books, two in the business genre and one in the spirituality genre, titled Epiphany: Finding Truth without Losing Faith.[1] He is the author of Managing Differently: Getting 100% from 100% of Your People 100% of the Time. Managing Differently has been called the most practical approach to diversity and management and is frequently used as source material for MBA courses.[3] He has also co-authored Diversity Training That Generates Real Change.
Recognition
- James earned the CMC designation from the Institute of Management Consultants USA and later was elected as a Fellow of the Institute (FIMC).[4]
- He represented AT&T as a Black Achiever for the Harlem YMCA in New York City.
- He was awarded the Top Excellence in Business honor by the Collat School of Business (UAB).[5]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Georgiadis, Fotis. Dr James O Rodgers, The Diversity Coach, On How Diversity Can Increase a Company’s Bottom Line (in en). Authority Magazine (2022-08-25). Retrieved 2025-03-14.
- ↑ Dr. James O. Rodgers (in en-US). The Diversity Coach. Retrieved 2025-03-14.
- ↑ "Dr. James Rodgers, PHD, FIMC - The Forum on Workplace Inclusion" (in en-US). The Forum on Workplace Inclusion. https://forumworkplaceinclusion.org/presenters/dr-james-rodgers/. Retrieved 2025-03-14.
- ↑ Experience, Excellence, Ethics (in en-US). James O Rodgers. Retrieved 2025-03-14.
- ↑ Archive - UAB News (in en-US). www.uab.edu. Retrieved 2025-03-14.