For more than four decades, B. Kim Barnes has helped Fortune 500 leaders, rising executives, and ambitious individuals turn the science of influence into measurable breakthroughs — at the conference table, in the boardroom, and in the quiet moments that define a career.
B. Kim Barnes
Founder, The Influence Guru
B. Kim Barnes was one of the founders and, for many years, the CEO of Barnes & Conti Associates, a global learning and development firm. She has had over 40 years of experience in the fields of management, leadership, and organization development. Kim developed or co-developed many of Barnes & Conti's popular programs, including Exercising Influence, Inspirational Leadership, Intelligent Risk-Taking, Consulting on the Inside, and Managing Innovation. She has taught, coached, and consulted within large and small, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
Kim is a frequent speaker at national and international professional conferences and meetings and has published many articles in professional journals in the U.S. and abroad. She is the author of several books, including Exercising Influence: A Guide for Making Things Happen at Work, at Home, and in Your Community, Third Edition (John Wiley & Sons, 2015), and has co-authored, with Beverly Scott, Consulting on the Inside: A Practical Guide for Internal Consultants (ATD Press, 2011). In 2012, Kim co-authored Self-Navigation: A Compass for Guiding Your Life and Career with Aviad Goz and in 2019, her book, Building Better Ideas: How Constructive Debate Inspires Courage, Collaboration, and Breakthrough Solutions, was published by Berrett-Koehler. She has also published two “corporate mysteries,” Murder on the 33rd Floor and Murder on Retreat (Johari Press).
Kim holds a Master's degree in Human Development from the University of Maryland. She resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Every engagement is tailored — but the practice is the same. Pick the format that matches the moment, and we'll design the rest around your team, your timeline, and the outcome that actually matters.
High-stakes workshops for executive teams that need to make hard decisions together — and walk out aligned, not exhausted.
A private, structured engagement for senior leaders and rising individual contributors. Influence as a practiced discipline, not a personality trait.
Keynotes and breakout sessions that translate four decades of influence research into a room full of "I need to try that Monday morning" moments.
Advisory engagements for founders, CHROs, and L&D leaders building the influence capability inside their organization — not just their calendar.
Not sure which fits? Book a 30-minute consultation and we'll figure it out together.
Pick a time that works. We'll spend the first half on what brought you here, and the second half on what to do about it — whether or not we end up working together.
Prefer email? Reach out at hello@bkimbarnesconsulting.com.