Reader Review · Placeholder
This memoir made me reconsider what I have been telling myself is impossible. A necessary and honest read.
— Placeholder Reader
Author · Executive · Scholar · Speaker
LEADERSHIP
WITHOUT FEAR.
PURPOSE
WITHOUT LIMITS.
Dr. Miles K. Davis is a higher education executive, scholar, entrepreneur, author, and values-based leadership strategist whose journey spans corporate consulting, university leadership, global engagement, and personal transformation.
FORMER UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT / SCHOLAR / ENTREPRENEUR / AUTHOR / SPEAKER
20TH PRESIDENT — LINFIELD UNIVERSITY
•
FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN PRESIDENT
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PHD PROJECT HALL OF FAME
•
AUTHOR — DEFINE YOUR POSSIBLE
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FOUNDER, INSTITUTE FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP
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PORTLAND BUSINESS JOURNAL EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR
•
THE MEMOIR
DEFINE YOUR
POSSIBLE.
LIVING A FEARLESS LIFE
In this deeply personal and powerful memoir, Dr. Miles K. Davis traces an extraordinary journey that begins in the streets of Philadelphia and stretches across universities, continents, cultures, executive boardrooms, and transformative leadership experiences.
Define Your Possible is more than a memoir. It is an invitation to confront fear, reject limiting narratives, embrace personal responsibility, and pursue a life shaped by courage and possibility.
WHAT READERS WILL DISCOVER
01How fear quietly limits personal and professional growth
02How identity and environment influence possibility
03How courage is developed through action
04How adversity can become preparation
05How leadership begins with self-definition
06How purpose expands when fear loses control
Leadership Endorsement · Placeholder
A candid and instructive account of what it takes to lead through uncertainty with integrity.
— Placeholder Executive
Academic Endorsement · Placeholder
Dr. Davis offers a rare bridge between scholarly rigor and lived leadership experience.
— Placeholder Scholar
The Philosophy
DEFINE WHAT IS POSSIBLE.
Dr. Miles K. Davis has spent his career helping individuals and institutions move beyond limitation. His work is grounded in the belief that leadership is not merely a title, entrepreneurship is not merely business ownership, and success is not merely personal advancement. True leadership requires courage, integrity, strategic thinking, service, and the willingness to define what is possible before others can see it.
THE FUTURE IS NOT SIMPLY DISCOVERED.
IT IS DEFINED, DESIGNED, AND COURAGEOUSLY PURSUED.
About
MEET DR.
MILES K. DAVIS.
HIGHER EDUCATION EXECUTIVE. SCHOLAR. ENTREPRENEUR. AUTHOR.
Dr. Miles K. Davis is an American higher education leader, scholar, entrepreneur, and author. He is widely known for serving as the twentieth president of Linfield University and becoming the institution's first African American president.
Before serving as university president, he held significant leadership responsibilities at Shenandoah University — serving as dean of the Harry F. Byrd Jr. School of Business, founding the Institute for Entrepreneurship, and serving as the inaugural chair of the Management Science Department.
His professional journey also includes corporate consulting, organizational development, strategic planning, leadership development, culture transformation, and executive education. His academic interests include entrepreneurship, innovation, ethical leadership, values-based leadership, organizational transformation, and the relationship between faith and entrepreneurial practice.
Read the Full Story
Career Journey
A CAREER DEFINED BY COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP
01
Corporate Consulting
Foundations in Organizational Change
Dr. Davis worked in corporate consulting, including work associated with EDS Corporation. His experience involved organizational change, leadership development, strategic planning, growth initiatives, and culture transformation.
02
Shenandoah University
Building Institutions from Within
He spent more than a decade at Shenandoah University, where he founded the Institute for Entrepreneurship, served as the inaugural chair of the Management Science Department, and later became dean of the business school.
03
Linfield University
The Twentieth President
In 2018, Dr. Davis became the twentieth president of Linfield University and the institution’s first African American president — leading the university through a period of strategic growth and transformation.
04
Author and Leadership Voice
Advancing the Conversation
Through writing, teaching, public speaking, and advisory work, Dr. Davis continues to advance conversations about fearless living, ethical leadership, entrepreneurship, and human potential.
Philosophy
THE PRINCIPLES BEHIND THE LEADERSHIP.
I
Integrity Before Influence
Leadership begins with character. Influence without integrity eventually damages the people and institutions it was meant to serve.
II
Innovation With Purpose
Organizations must evolve, but innovation must remain connected to mission, values, and human need.
III
Entrepreneurship as Problem-Solving
Entrepreneurship is not limited to starting companies. It is the disciplined ability to recognize problems, mobilize resources, and create meaningful solutions.
IV
Courageous Decision-Making
Progress often requires leaders to make difficult decisions before certainty is available.
V
Service Beyond Self
Leadership reaches its highest expression when it improves the lives of others and strengthens the communities it touches.
VALUES SHOULD NOT MERELY ACCOMPANY STRATEGY.
VALUES SHOULD SHAPE STRATEGY.
Executive Leadership
LEADERSHIP THAT TRANSFORMS INSTITUTIONS
01
Institutional Transformation
Helping organizations move beyond outdated structures and respond strategically to changing environments.
02
Academic Innovation
Supporting new programmes, modern curriculum development, graduate education, and stronger connections between education and industry.
03
Entrepreneurial Thinking
Encouraging institutions to think creatively, identify opportunities, solve problems, and develop sustainable models for growth.
04
Fundraising and Advancement
Helping strengthen institutional resources, partnerships, development initiatives, and long-term sustainability.
05
Culture and Leadership Development
Building leadership capacity, strengthening institutional culture, and preparing people to lead through change.
06
Community and Global Engagement
Advancing the idea that institutions must serve people, communities, and society beyond their physical boundaries.
FEATURED ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Twentieth President of Linfield University
- First African American President of Linfield University
- Founder of an Institute for Entrepreneurship
- Former Business School Dean
- Higher Education Executive
- Leadership and Entrepreneurship Scholar
Foundation
BUILT THROUGH SCHOLARSHIP AND EXPERIENCE.
Bachelor’s Degree
Communications
Duquesne University
Master’s Degree
Human Resource Development
Bowie State University
Doctoral Degree
Human and Organizational Sciences
The George Washington University
His academic preparation gave him a strong foundation in organizational behavior, leadership development, human systems, strategic change, and institutional growth.
Speaking Engagements
INVITE DR. DAVIS
TO SPEAK.
Dr. Davis combines scholarly insight, executive experience, personal storytelling, and practical leadership instruction. His presentations are designed to challenge assumptions, inspire courageous action, and equip audiences with strategies they can apply immediately.
He speaks for universities, corporations, leadership conferences, churches, nonprofit organizations, entrepreneurship forums, executive retreats, and professional associations.
Request Speaking InformationSUGGESTED TOPICS
- Define Your Possible
- Living and Leading Beyond Fear
- Entrepreneurship as a Leadership Mindset
- Leading Institutions Through Change
- Values-Based Leadership in Complex Times
- The Courage to Transform
- Faith, Ethics, and Entrepreneurship
- Developing the Next Generation of Leaders
- Building Innovative and Sustainable Organizations
- From Personal Limitation to Global Impact
Advisory Services
STRATEGIC GUIDANCE FOR LEADERS AND INSTITUTIONS.
Advisory services can be customized for universities, businesses, nonprofit organizations, faith-based institutions, and emerging leaders.
Executive Leadership Advisory
Organizational Transformation
Strategic Planning
Higher Education Consulting
Entrepreneurship Programme Development
Leadership Development
Institutional Culture Assessment
Board and Executive Retreat Facilitation
Distinction
RECOGNITION BUILT THROUGH SERVICE.
- Inducted into The PhD Project Hall of Fame
- One of the first participants from The PhD Project to become a university president
- Named among the Portland Business Journal’s Executives of the Year
- Member of the Society of Leadership Fellows at St. George’s House, Windsor Castle
- Advocate for diversity in business education and higher education
- Mentor to emerging academic and organizational leaders
Thought Leadership
IDEAS FOR LEADERS WHO ARE READY TO GROW.
Why Fear Is Often a Leadership Problem
Fear does not only limit individuals. It quietly shapes decisions inside organizations, often disguised as caution or tradition.
Read More →Entrepreneurship Is More Than Starting a Business
Entrepreneurial thinking is a discipline of recognizing problems and mobilizing resources — one every institution needs.
Read More →What Institutions Must Do to Remain Relevant
Relevance is not inherited. It is built continuously through innovation, honest assessment, and courageous decisions.
Read More →YOUR POSSIBILITIES ARE NOT DETERMINED ONLY BY WHERE YOU STARTED. THEY ARE SHAPED BY WHAT YOU ARE WILLING TO CONFRONT, BELIEVE, BUILD, AND BECOME.
— DR. MILES K. DAVIS
Get in Touch
BEGIN THE
CONVERSATION.
Whether you are seeking a keynote speaker, leadership advisor, institutional consultant, interview guest, academic contributor, or strategic partner, Dr. Miles K. Davis welcomes the opportunity to explore meaningful collaboration.