About Jeff

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I’ve been helping people optimize and leverage skillful communication for a quarter century. However, my path to this calling began much longer ago.

 

As a child, I was always the one who seemed to get along with everybody, from the neighborhood bully to the kid no one paid any attention to. I could speak truthfully to anyone without tearing them down and demonstrate that I genuinely heard what others had to say. I just seemed to make people feel comfortable, appreciated, and respected. I can’t say exactly how these qualities emerged, but after forays into careers as a musician (Atlantic/Cotillion and Nonesuch Records) and actor (Off-Broadway), it became clear that I could identify a communication skill set, codify it, and teach it to others.

 

I developed associations with like-minded training and development organizations. I applied the performance skills I’d picked up in show business to develop a classroom style that offers a fun, relaxed experience for learners and that creates the openness to behavior change. The result is Levy-Lyons Training & Coaching.

 

Since 1993, I’ve worked with organizations across virtually every industry (including financial services, manufacturing, big pharma, bio-tech) and many not-for-profits. I work with groups and individuals at every level, from the newly hired to those who have moved up to the corner office.

 

The skills I teach address specific blocks to success, advancement, and effectiveness. It’s all based on common sense, but common sense is frequently trumped by old, ingrained habits. The real work is to shine a light on the blind spots of unproductive habit, build the “muscle” of new habits, and lead to more adaptive and savvy behavior.

 

It’s been a blessing and privilege to be invited into the boardrooms and classrooms of organizations across the country and to see how skillful communication helps people and organizations thrive.

 

The other blessings of my life are my wife, Ana, our two children Miriam and Micah, and my older son, Alex. Home base is NYC.