"Ginny was great and her topic super relevant!"

– Novartis Program Participant

"I found Ginny's presentations both fascinating and inspiring. I will look at my work and private life and will try to integrate as many of her suggestions as I can."

– Sandoz Program Participant

In my talks, I like to go where words won't go, and give people an experience of connectedness, let them extend their energy, feel how they can align with their vision and transform situations. The joy I take in this work is as boundless as the Self people glimpse, and ultimately realize, as their true nature.

- Dr. Ginny Whitelaw

Zen makes leadership fearless;
Leadership puts Zen to good use;

Leadership is about expressing
one's self to create value and serve
others. Zen is about awakening to
one's whole Self. Put these together
and the possibilities are endless.

Dr. Ginny Whitelaw brings Zen and leadership together

An Accidental Innovator...

Dr. Ginny Whitelaw didn’t dream she’d become an innovator in leadership development. She dreamt of being an astronaut, and wrote NASA at the age of 13 to ask about the courses she should take in junior high school to best prepare. Treasuring the letter they sent back, she followed its advice to study science, which led to 3 years in a high energy physics lab, a doctorate in biophysics, and a lifelong interest in energy and the human body.

From the age of 19, she also started intense physical training, first in martial arts, then in Zen, which led to a 5^th degree black belt in Aikido and her becoming a roshi (Zen master) in the Chozen-ji line of Rinzai Zen. She has led dojo (training centers) in Houston and Atlanta, and currently trains and teaches at Chozen-ji Wisconsin Betsuin.

Along the way, she also made it to NASA. There, she went into management, not space, eventually becoming the Deputy Manager for integrating the Space Station program, and receiving NASA’s Exceptional Service Medal for her efforts. It was while attending her first NASA leadership development program that she discovered, to her own surprise, this was her work. She continued to learn everything she could about leadership and combine it with everything she knew about Zen, biophysics, and the human body.

For more than 15 years, Dr. Whitelaw has brought this rich background to the service of leaders all over the world. She co-founded Focus Leadership with an integrated, energy-based approach to developing transformational leaders and their teams. She has worked with numerous Global1000 leaders and businesses, including Dell, Novartis, JNJ, Bank of America, Precor, Sprint, EMC, XL Capital, and Prudential. (See a full list of Clients). She is a seasoned keynote speaker, having presented to such groups as the International Coaching Federation, Professional Coaches and Mentors Association, and European Professional Womens Network. The co-author of Move to Greatness (with Betsy Wetzig, 2008), she continues to teach Zen applications to leadership, in which the ideas of The Zen Leaderhave met with such enthusiasm, they needed to be written down.

We Listen First

When you book Dr. Ginny Whitelaw for a speaking engagement, you won't get a canned speech. We'll start with understanding the needs of your audience, and the broader context to which the insights and practices of her talk can be applied. We'll then craft the right mix of immersion experiences, reflection, and interaction to fit your group and purpose.

Favorite Topics

Below are some of Dr. Ginny Whitelaw's favorite and most requested topics. Learn more about these topics or watch a live video of Ginny present a talk on the 4 energy patterns.

Having Fuel for the Journey of Leadership: The 3 Laws of Energy Management
From Coping to Transforming - getting out of your own way and changing the world
From Driving Results to Attracting the Future - the only way it really works
The Zen Leader - from Barely Managing to Leading Fearlessly (an overview)
Strengthing Your Play: Discovering the patterns you use, avoid, and need right now