EXPERT ON:
◉ Leadership Development
◉ Motivation & Mindset
◉ Sales & Persuasion
◉ Goal Setting & Achievement
◉ Church & Ministry Leadership
EXPERIENCE:
◉ Globally recognized keynote speaker, executive coach, and three-time Martial Arts Hall of Fame inductee, with decades of experience training executives, entrepreneurs, and high-performing teams.
◉ Founder of Black Belt Leadership and President & CEO of the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame, leading initiatives in leadership development, performance, and professional growth.
◉ Creator of the Black Belt Leadership framework and the MORE Score methodology, integrating emotional intelligence, neuroscience, and behavioral psychology to drive high-performance leadership and organizational success.
Dr. John L. Terry, III, known as The Black Belt Leader, is a globally recognized keynote speaker, executive coach, and three-time Martial Arts Hall of Fame inductee who equips leaders to perform at the highest level in business and in life. A Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and multiple-time best-selling author, Dr. John brings a rare and powerful perspective: blending the discipline, mindset, and mastery of martial arts with real-world leadership, communication, and performance strategies.
With decades of experience training top executives, entrepreneurs, and high-performing teams, while simultaneously raising six children, Dr. John understands what it takes to lead under pressure, build resilient cultures, and sustain excellence over time. His message is both practical and transformational: leadership is not a title; it’s a discipline. Through his signature Black Belt Leadership framework, he teaches audiences how to discover, develop, and deploy their own unique “Black Belt Leader Within,” creating measurable impact in their organizations and personal lives.
Dr. John’s keynote experiences are high-energy, story-driven, and deeply actionable. Audiences walk away with more than inspiration. They leave with a clear roadmap to improve performance, strengthen communication, and lead with confidence in uncertain environments. Whether speaking to corporate teams, national conferences, or faith-based organizations, his message resonates across industries because it speaks to a universal truth: you were created on purpose, for a purpose…and mastery is the path to fulfilling it.
Founder and President – Black Belt Leadership
In response to a growing global leadership deficit, John launched Black Belt Leadership to teach and train a new generation to learn to lead themselves well, discovering, developing, and deploying the Black Belt Leader within. High-performance teams can only be developed by high-performance leaders who pursue life with Black Belt Excellence.
President and CEO – United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame
Recognizing and honoring men and women who have dedicated their lives to the development of martial arts students and instructors, the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame hosts an annual black-tie event to pay tribute to these worthy individuals. The organization also provides ongoing leadership, communication, sales & marketing training to school owners and instructors in addition to business and professional development training.
President, Human Behavior Intelligence Consultant – MORE Score – An Emotionally Intelligent Approach to Human Behavior & Performance
Success requires that we understand ourselves and those around us to maximize our individual and corporate potential. The MORE Score incorporates the latest research into neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and behavioral psychology to analyze human behavior and performance, helping us understand how we communicate, think, and learn. This methodology also helps to identify our strengths and weaknesses, as well as our areas of Fulfillment, Frustration, and Failure.