Lawrence James Jr. joins Seven Stones Leadership Group as a thought leader in diversity, inclusion, & belonging (DIB), executive development and executive assessment. He is an expert in helping corporations develop cultures of belonging and inclusion—so that all employees thrive. In addition to his work in diversity and inclusion, he is highly sought-after for his ability to assess and grow senior executive and high potential talent. He has worked across a variety of sectors including healthcare, energy/utilities, financial services, retail, and manufacturing. Through his coaching and development work, he has enabled numerous executives to move into more senior and even C-suite roles after working with him.

Showing a powerful mix of inquisitiveness, insight, and drive, he is an innovator. He developed a holistic, integrated, and systemic model for growing diverse talent which was detailed in his seminal white paper “Journey to the Top: Developing African American Executives.” With his forward thinking and innovative whole organization approach to talent development, he has been an invited keynote speaker at a variety of conferences, symposia, and corporate roundtables discussing his holistic approach to talent development. He was co-editor of a special issue in the Consulting Psychology Journal entitled “ The State of Black Leadership: What Can be Done to Create Sustainable Change,” which was published in March, 2023.

After 12 years as a partner with RHR International, a premier boutique leadership development consultancy, Lawrence started his own consultancy in 2021 focusing on the systemic development of senior and high potential talent from assessment to coaching, inclusive leadership training and development, diversity strategy and advisory services, and organizational transformation.

Prior to joining RHR International, Lawrence was president of LJA LifeLessons, a psychological services corporation, for over 10 years. He provided a variety of mental health services including psychotherapy and neuropsychological assessment. In addition, he served as a consultant with a variety of non-profits designing programs to extend their service reach as well as supplying staff consultation and development.

Lawrence received his BA in psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a M.Ed. in counseling psychology at Howard University, and a PhD in clinical psychology from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He is a licensed psychologist in the state of Illinois and is a member of several professional organizations.