Joel Barker

Joel Barker is an independent scholar and futurist. Because he was the first person to popularize the concept of paradigm shifts, he is known around the world as the "Paradigm Man."

He began his work in 1975 and pioneered the concept of paradigm shifts to explain profound change and the importance of vision to drive change within organizations. The prestigious Library Journal listed his book, Future Edge, published in 1992, as one of the most influential business books of that year.

Most of us know Joel from his extraordinary videos on the future. They have been translated into 16 languages and have been international best sellers for more than a decade.

Joel Barker has worked with both for profit and nonprofit organizations all over the world, as well as with nations, including Singapore, Venezuela, Canada, Mexico and Peru. Currently, he is on the Advisory Board of the Global Futures Forum, a European nonprofit organization located in London.

His honors include an honorary Doctorate in Visionary Leadership from St. Mary's University and the Excellence in Education Award given to him by the international education association, Pi Lambda Theta, for his part in supporting educational innovation.

He is the recipient of the 2004 Larry Wilson Award, which is presented annually by the University of Minnesota’s College of Education and Human Development Department to an outstanding educator who has demonstrated excellence in educational achievement outside the traditional school environment.

Mr. Barker is on the advisory board of the Global Futures Forum and senior advisor to the Royal Institution World Science Assembly and for Collective IQ, Inc. Barker also developed The Implications Wheel Software system for identifying long-term consequences, including the dreaded unintended consequences.

Mr. Barker has spoken to more than 1 million people around the world and his films have been seen by more than 250 million people around the world.

Brief History of Joel Barker:
1974 to 1978: Director of the Futures Studies Department of the Science Museum of Minnesota.

1975: Begins working with visionary thinkers in Europe and North America.

1980: Begins to focus on the importance of vision.

1989: Releases his first training video, Business of Paradigms, which went on to be the best selling video in history and has been translated into 16 different languages.

1990: Releases his second training video, Power of Vision, which, again, is a best seller and translated into numerous languages.

1992: He publishes Future Edge, one of the most influential business books of that year.

1993: He releases Paradigm Pioneers which emphasizes being a leader and trailblazer, not a follower.

1996: Paradigm Principles is released. In this Joel Barker training video he takes you from being aware of the power of paradigms to having the tools to harness that power.

1997: The release of the 5 video set Paradigm Mastery Series, designed to help you explore the impact paradigms have on your world. The set includes Paradigm Hunting, Change and Leadership, The Paradigm Effect, The Paradigm Curve, Paradigm Partners.

1998: Tactics of Innovation is released. This video introduces a ten-step strategy for removing barriers between new ideas and people, who naturally resist change.

1999: Leadershift is released, exploring changes in the concept of leadership and offering five concepts that will improve the performance of any leader.

2000: Wealth Innovation Diversity is released. This training video takes you on a journey around the world to understand a fundamental truth: Without diversity, there can be no innovation; without innovation, there can be no new wealth; therefore, diversity is the key to creating wealth for all .

2001: The New Business of Paradigms is released as an update to the original Business of Paradigm.

2008: Innovation at the Verge is released to teach how to create your next innovation

2010: Recipient of the Robert E. Fox - Lifetime Acheivemnt Award for his impact and contributions to Organizational Change and Continuous Improvement. (Fox Awards)