John J. Murray Jr.
ABOUT JOHN J. MURRAY JR.
REAL STORIES. TESTED LEADERSHIP. PRACTICAL TAKEAWAYS.
John J. Murray Jr. has spent his career working where leadership decisions carry real consequences.
His experience spans military justice, law, higher education, public safety, organizational change, and executive leadership. He has served as a U.S. Army JAG Corps attorney, Special Assistant United States Attorney, Military Magistrate Judge, law instructor, attorney, educator, and higher education administrator.
Across those roles, John has led through conflict, built programs, developed professionals, managed change, made difficult personnel decisions, and remained accountable for what happened next.
That experience shapes the way he speaks.
John combines powerful storytelling with practical insight into leadership, conflict, communication, resilience, and human behavior. His keynotes help audiences see difficult moments differently and give them memorable frameworks they can use long after the event ends.
He does not speak about leadership only from research or theory.
He speaks from the experience of having to practice it when the path forward was not obvious.
THE EXPERIENCES BEHIND THE MESSAGES
John’s keynote messages are shaped by more than professional credentials. They are shaped by the people, setbacks, victories, losses, and lessons that formed him.
A challenge from his grandmother before every major competition became the foundation for Show ’Em Where You Live, a message about preparation, identity, courage, and moving forward in a way that honors where you come from.
Unexpected personal experiences became the foundation for The Other Side of the Mountain, a keynote about setbacks, perspective, resilience, and the breakthroughs that may be waiting beyond what initially looks like defeat.
Years of studying and navigating conflict led to Stop, Drop, & Roll, a practical framework for helping people feel heard, understood, and valued without abandoning accountability.
His work with leaders and teams inspired Hats Off and A-Formation Leadership, which explore how respect, trust, vulnerability, collaboration, relationship, and empathy shape the cultures people experience every day.
John’s stories are personal, but the lessons are universal. They help audiences recognize themselves, reconsider what they are facing, and leave with a clearer sense of what to do next.
EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS
John earned his LL.M. in Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law’s Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, one of the nation’s leading conflict-resolution programs.
He earned his J.D., with honors, from Drake University Law School and his B.A. in Philosophy, magna cum laude, from Drake University.
He is also a Prosci Certified Change Management Practitioner and completed executive education in Neuroscience and Business Decision Making through the Wharton School.
John is licensed to practice law in Iowa and Illinois.
His education and professional experience allow him to connect leadership, conflict resolution, change management, law, neuroscience, communication, and human behavior in a way that is both substantive and immediately practical.
AUTHOR AND THOUGHT LEADER
John is an award-winning and bestselling author whose books explore leadership, faith, conflict, law, relationships, and the lessons hidden inside everyday life.
His works include:
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Better Than Our Dogs
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Man Na
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Stop, Drop, and Roll
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Introduction to Law: A Real, Relevant, and Relatable Approach for Paralegals
His books have received national recognition, including a Grand Prize and Best
Devotional honors. Several of John’s keynote experiences are rooted in ideas first
developed through his writing, including How to Be Better Than Our Dogs, Man Na,
and Stop, Drop, & Roll.
Whether on the page or the stage, John’s goal is the same:
To help people see differently, lead more intentionally, and become better for having
encountered the message.
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