Information About Leadership Development

Our mission is to transform businesses that are struggling into businesses that are thriving through the power of effective communication.

Harris Leadership Development was founded by Kathy Harris in 2001. Based in Lodi, California, Harris Leadership Development provides seminars, keynote speeches, consulting services and information about leadership development throughout Northern California and beyond.

In 2006, Traci Petitt joined the company as a certified trainer in behavioral styles and generations to expand the service offerings. Traci is Kathy's daughter and an active mom of three children. Together this mother and daughter power team share a passion for inspiring audiences of all sizes and empowering transformation for business organizations. They also put their programs to work by bridging their own generational gap and managing a thriving business.

Meet Kathy Harris

Kathy utilizes her experience and sense of humor to create interactive, fun, and energized learning experiences. As a certified trainer in behavioral styles and generations, Kathy utilizes her Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and her 35+ years in management in both the public and private sectors. Kathy's mission is to assist people in creating their full potential for success.

At the age of 19, Kathy learned the importance of gender communication when she was the only female in a department of 96 men. This was truly a great experience, though she would not fully appreciate the many lessons in understanding the differences between genders until much later in life.

Kathy authored a survival guide: Is Gender Communication Giving You A Headache? and teaches her workshop by the same name. Understanding gender differences has fueled her zeal for women's issues. She has taught her Shattering the Cycle! workshop at a women's crisis center.

Kathy has seen the power of transformation that people and businesses experience through her signature popR Principle workshop. While serving as interim executive director of a women's crisis center, she expanded her concept into a pilot program that began in a local high school. The program was designed to help Saturday School students begin evaluating their life choices and behavior.

Politics have been an essential component of Kathy's life. Her husband John has been in public office for over 29 years. For eight years, Kathy actively lobbied at the national, state, and local levels, giving her valuable insight and expertise in communication, gender differences, accountability, and change. She has worked with members of congress, senators and assemblymen and the past First Lady of California, Sharon Davis.

Kathy currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Manteca, and is the current co-chairman of Program Development for the South County Crisis Center. She is a past member of the Board of Directors for the Manteca Boys and Girls Club, Manteca Youth Focus and South County Crisis Center where she served as president and interim executive director.

Meet Traci Petitt

Prior to joining forces with her mother in 2006 to expand the offerings of Harris Leadership Development, Traci Petitt served as the operations manager for a multi-million dollar company and worked in sales and marketing for an insurance firm.

Traci also spent several years working in the public school system in both finance and curriculum acquisition. Leveraging her extensive business experience, Traci enjoys the continued pursuit of finding and developing information about leadership development.

Traci is certified in DiSC Behavior Analysis and Bridge Builders Generational Training. Her enthusiasm for her career is contagious and she excels at inspiring audiences. Traci is married to Randy, her high school sweetheart, and is a mom of three including two teenagers and an infant. She utilizes her knowledge and training to manage her own busy schedule while inspiring transformation within the companies she serves.

Free Consultation

Harris Leadership Development has improved communication
skills for thousands of people. We can help you too.

We invite you to contact us for additional information about leadership development and to discuss how we can make a difference in your organization.