Doug Kirkpatrick

Doug Kirkpatrick is a global voice for self-management, organizational trust, and the future of work. His journey started at The Morning Star Company, the world’s largest tomato processor, where he served as financial controller and helped shape a workplace without bosses, titles, or traditional hierarchy. That radical experiment became the blueprint for his life’s work: building organizations that run on freedom, accountability, and shared agreements.

Doug went on to co-found the Self-Management Institute and now leads D’Artagnan Advisors, where he helps companies like Fortune 500s to public agencies shift from control-based systems to ones rooted in autonomy and trust. He’s also a founding partner of Vibrancy, a global network advancing self-managed practices in education, government, healthcare, and beyond.

A sought-after speaker and advisor, Doug brings deep practicality to big questions. His books Beyond Empowerment and The No-Limits Enterprise explore what happens when you strip away outdated structures and invite people to lead from wherever they are. He’s served on boards including the Association for Talent Development (ATD) and LIDER, and his work has influenced leadership programs and MBA classrooms across five continents.

The Leadership Diamond @ Amy’s Kitchen

Doug’s sessions aren’t just theory, they’re built on lived experience. At Responsive 2025, he’ll join Tim Griffin and Andrea Robb for The Leadership Diamond at Amy’s Kitchen, a conversation on courage, ethics, and what it actually takes to lead during deep change.