Meet Bruce Tulgan and the
RainmakerThinking team.

MEET BRUCE TULGAN

Bruce Tulgan

Founder & CEO · Author · Speaker · Management researcher

Bruce Tulgan founded RainmakerThinking in 1993 to study the changing workplace and help people meet its challenges. Today, he is a bestselling author, adviser to business leaders, keynote speaker, and management trainer. His work connects decades of research with the daily conversations that make management more effective.

His workplace research has included more than half a million participants from more than 400 organizations. He has worked with leaders and managers at American Express, Aetna, Deloitte, IBM, Loews Hotels, ESPN, Target, the U.S. Armed Forces, and the YMCA, among many others.

Bruce brings that experience to audiences in person and live online through real-world stories, humor, and direct interaction. He works with senior executives, experienced managers, first-time supervisors, and employees without formal authority—giving each audience practical ways to clarify expectations, solve problems, and follow through.

His books include It’s Okay to Be the Boss, Not Everyone Gets a Trophy, The 27 Challenges Managers Face, Bridging the Soft Skills Gap, and The Art of Being Indispensable at Work. His writing has appeared in Harvard Business Review, HR Magazine, The New York Times, and USA Today.

Find a book for your next challenge →

BEYOND THE WORKPLACE

Meet the lifelong student behind the teacher.

Bruce began studying karate in 1974 and holds a seventh-degree black belt in Okinawan Uechi Ryu Karate Do. From 2015 to 2022, he housed and cared for one of the world’s most respected karate masters. That relationship—and a lifetime of returning to practice—shapes his perspective on strength, humility, resilience, and learning.

His new program, Strength and Wisdom, brings those lessons to life and work. It draws on his forthcoming memoir, The Karate Master and Me: A Scared Little Boy, an Enigmatic Old Man, and My Lifelong Quest for Strength and Wisdom.

MEET THE TEAM

Meet the people you’ll work with.

From your first conversation through planning and coordination, our team helps shape your engagement and bring the details together.

CLIENT EXPERIENCE

Build a working relationship.

“We really appreciate the wonderful presentations that you give and the value that you bring to each group. And, your team is amazing and always kind and willing to help. Thank you!”

Seleise Barrett
ACCC Managing Director, Kansas State University

Title and affiliation at the time of the testimonial.

How have other organizations put these ideas to work?

Hear from clients about the management practices, conversations, and learning they took back to their teams.