David Shar
PhD, SHRM-SCP
MD, USStop choosing between the speaker your audience will rave about and the one with something real to teach. Dr. David Shar is genuinely both... passionate enough to move a room, rigorous enough to change how they think, and funny enough to keep them cracking up all session long.
As a young owner of an ice cream parlor in Baltimore City, Dr. David Shar thought he had leadership figured out. Then one morning, a teenage employee showed up for her shift right after learning her boyfriend had been shot and left for dead. David told her to go home. She refused.
"I need to be here," she said. "This is my happy place."
That moment launched him on a two-decade journey to find out why. Why do some people find genuine meaning in their work... even scooping ice cream... while others with objectively important jobs dread Monday morning? And what happens when even the most passionate employees start pulling away?
David turned those questions into research. His doctoral work produced the first qualitative study ever conducted on work passion decline, tracing exactly how and why the most passionate employees eventually fall out of love with their work and what we can do about it before it's too late.
Today David is a keynote speaker, organizational consultant, and Professor and Acting Director of the Industrial-Organizational Psychology graduate program at the University of Maryland. As founder of Illuminate PMC, he has spent more than 15 years working with leaders across industries to build cultures where passion and performance reinforce each other instead of competing.
His sessions are research-backed, interactive, story-driven, and laugh-out-loud funny. Audiences consistently describe them as the talk they are still thinking about weeks later.
"David's energy is infectious and his real-life approach is a gift. His talk really left a lasting impression."— Nicole Rohloff, National Institutes of Health
Most Requested Topics:
- It's Not You, It's Me... Why We Fall Out of Love with Work: David's signature keynote on work passion decline, drawing from his original research. Why do passionate employees eventually fall our of love with their work... and what can we do to stop it before it's too late?
- Building a KINDER Kind of Workplace: A research-backed framework for creating cultures of civility, accountability, and genuine human connection. Knowledgeable. Inclusive. Nurturing. Direct. Empathetic. Resilient.
David holds a PhD in Business Psychology and a master's in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. He is a SHRM-Senior Certified Professional with more than 15 years of leadership and consulting experience across healthcare, technology, manufacturing, financial services, and beyond.
David lives life passionately in Baltimore with his incredibly supportive wife, five hilarious kids, and Groot, their 225-pound English Mastiff puppy who has strong opinions about hustle culture.
As a young owner of an ice cream parlor in Baltimore City, Dr. David Shar thought he had leadership figured out. Then one morning, a teenage employee showed up for her shift right after learning her boyfriend had been shot and left for dead. David told her to go home. She refused.
"I need to be here," she said. "This is my happy place."
That moment launched him on a two-decade journey to find out why. Why do some people find genuine meaning in their work... even scooping ice cream... while others with objectively important jobs dread Monday morning? And what happens when even the most passionate employees start pulling away?
David turned those questions into research. His doctoral work produced the first qualitative study ever conducted on work passion decline, tracing exactly how and why the most passionate employees eventually fall out of love with their work and what we can do about it before it's too late.
Today David is a keynote speaker, organizational consultant, and Professor and Acting Director of the Industrial-Organizational Psychology graduate program at the University of Maryland. As founder of Illuminate PMC, he has spent more than 15 years working with leaders across industries to build cultures where passion and performance reinforce each other instead of competing.
His sessions are research-backed, interactive, story-driven, and laugh-out-loud funny. Audiences consistently describe them as the talk they are still thinking about weeks later.
"David's energy is infectious and his real-life approach is a gift. His talk really left a lasting impression."— Nicole Rohloff, National Institutes of Health
Most Requested Topics:
- It's Not You, It's Me... Why We Fall Out of Love with Work: David's signature keynote on work passion decline, drawing from his original research. Why do passionate employees eventually fall our of love with their work... and what can we do to stop it before it's too late?
- Building a KINDER Kind of Workplace: A research-backed framework for creating cultures of civility, accountability, and genuine human connection. Knowledgeable. Inclusive. Nurturing. Direct. Empathetic. Resilient.
David holds a PhD in Business Psychology and a master's in Industrial-Organizational Psychology. He is a SHRM-Senior Certified Professional with more than 15 years of leadership and consulting experience across healthcare, technology, manufacturing, financial services, and beyond.
David lives life passionately in Baltimore with his incredibly supportive wife, five hilarious kids, and Groot, their 225-pound English Mastiff puppy who has strong opinions about hustle culture.
BUILDING A KINDER KIND OF WORKPLACE: From Any Seat on the Bus
Format:
60-90 minute Interactive Keynote or Virtual Presentation
This program is perfect for:
- Associations & Conferences looking to light the fire in their attendees AND send them back to the office with tools to change the status quo.
- Organizations looking to motivate their teams, empower their employees, and change their culture.
- HR...
Reigniting Passion: Engaging Your Team in a Disengaged World
Format: 60-90 minute Interactive Keynote or Virtual Presentation
This program is perfect for:
- Associations & Conferences looking to light the fire in their attendees AND send them back to the office with tools to change the status quo.
- Organizational Leaders from Frontline Supervisors to the C-Suite.
- HR Professionals
- Employers
In an era where...
Debunking Leadership Mythconceptions: Rethinking Common Beliefs to Boost Talent & Culture
Format: 60-90 minute Interactive Keynote or Virtual Presentation
This program is perfect for:
- Associations & Conferences looking to encourage their attendees to open their minds and challenge the status quo
- Organizations looking to foster creativity and discover new solutions to old problems.
- HR Professionals
- Organizational Leaders from Frontline Supervisors to the...
Changing How We Think About Change
How to Gain Buy-In & Decrease Resistance through Collaborative Change
Format: 60-90 minute Interactive Keynote, Virtual Presentation, or Deep Dive Workshop
This program is perfect for:
- HR Professionals
- Managers & Supervisors
- Growth Oriented Organizations Looking to Empower Their Employees
Over the past...
The Science of Employee Selection
Using Psychological Principles to Build a More Effective & Diverse Team
Format:
90 minute to Half-Day Interactive Workshop
This program is perfect for:
- HR Professionals
- Hiring Managers
We all know the exorbitant cost of turnover to our businesses. In this workshop we will learn how to strengthen our selection process while increasing diversity,...
Leadership & Culture Training
David Shar offers custom half-day, full-day and multi-day trainings on a wide variety of workplace topics including:
Contact David to discuss your specific needs for a customized training agenda that meets your organization's specific needs.
- Situational Leadership
- Delegation
- Employee Engagement
- Burnout
- Corporate Volunteering
- Employee Selection
- Conflict Management
- Autonomy
- Virtual Team...
Certifications & Awards
