Workforce strategist, author, and speaker - Eric Swenson is acknowledged as a leading expert on leadership and the workforce. His work has led to improved performance, stronger employee engagement and greater customer satisfaction for businesses throughout North America.

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His first book, Managing People in the 21st Century, was published in 2004, and was updated 16 years later. His second book, The 5 A’s of Great Employees, argues that experience and education are  far less important in today's workforce than intangible attributes.

A sought-after speaker, he speaks frequently to organizations and conferences on topics ranging from leadership and management, to workforce trends and issues.  He has conducted seminars for professional organizations and is a popular keynote speaker at conferences and conventions.

 

Eric oversees two companies he founded: Tanzanite Leadership Development and Symmetry HR Outsourcing. Since 2003, these brands have provided leadership training and human resources oversight for more than 300 businesses and nearly 30,000 client employees representing virtually every industry from start-ups to major organizations.

 

Tanzanite provides unique leadership training programs, on-site and on-line, to hundreds of executives and senior managers every year.

He says his reason for doing what he does is “people get promoted because the sell the most widgets, or work the hardest, or the kiss the most butt. But none of those qualities translates into effective leadership. I should know—I’ve been the victim of plenty of awful managers.”

 

He has managed hundreds of employees and interviewed thousands of job candidates in his career.

 

Prior to launching his company, Eric had a 17-year corporate career, where he worked in sales, marketing, training and senior management.

 

He was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Arcadia, California. An Eagle Scout, he is a graduate of the University of the Pacific, where he majored in English and communications and was Student Body President at the College of the Pacific. His newest book, "Weaknesses," will be published in late 2023.

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Eric lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Yukiji.