Known as “The Wingman,” Lt Col (ret.) Waldo Waldman is the author of National Bestseller Never Fly Solo. He helps organizations build collaborative cultures of trust, courage and commitment in order to adapt to change, break performance barriers, and overcome adversity.
In addition to his time in the military, Waldo has real world corporate sales experience and is an expert on change management and resilience – having overcome a fear of heights and claustrophobia to achieve his dream of becoming a fighter pilot. His compelling stories and tactics on overcoming adversity, performing under pressure and servant-based leadership are extremely relevant to organizations who are going through disruptive change and seeking to build a “One Team, One Mission” culture of excellence and trust.
Waldo Waldman is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and also holds an MBA with a focus on Organizational Behavior. He is an inductee into the Professional Speakers Hall of Fame, and is the founder of The Wingman Foundation whose mission is to build funds and awareness for veterans and their families in need. He has been featured on CNN, Fox News, Inc. Magazine, and The Harvard Business Review, and his clients include Verizon, American Express, GE, The Denver Broncos, ExxonMobil, New York Life, Siemens, Merck, and dozens of national associations.
Waldo Waldman has an impressive background which includes being a highly experienced combat veteran with over 2,650 flight hours and sixty-five real world combat missions. Some of his military honors include five Air Medals, two Aerial Achievement Medals, four Air Force Commendation Medals, and two Meritorious Service Medals. Today, he is a professional leadership speaker.
He is also the founder and President of “The Wingman Foundation,” a 501(c)(3)–which builds funds and raises awareness for soldiers, veterans and their families in need.
Last week, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Waldman to ask him questions regarding his past, present and plans for the future. We discussed how his dreams of becoming a pilot came to fruition, how he overcame his life-changing scuba diving accident, his upcoming book on mentor-ship and much more. Additionally, he told me about his most memorable mission, which highlighted the importance of becoming your own wing-man! Furthermore, we talked about his best selling book, “Never Fly Solo” where he shares strategies to help organizations communicate effectively under high stress situations. During this, he revealed some of his most valuable tips and life lessons he’s learned along the way.
It was an honor to have Colonel Waldo Waldman conclude National Military Appreciation Month. We thank you for your service!
To hear the full podcast, click play on the link below.
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The key to building a high powered organization that encourages innovative thinking, loyalty to the mission, and a relentless commitment to excellence lies with its leadership.
In this high energy workshop, I highlight the difference between managing people, and leading them to be responsible, empowered, and confident wingmen.
An organization that leads to win has four distinct characteristics:
“Waldo’s knowledge of the company and ability to place our current chal- lenges into context, showed how much time, research, and planning he put into his performance. He sounded like a seasoned UPS employee! His infectious attitude carried over to the audience and was undoubtedly the highlight of this year’s conference.”
“With recent changes in our leadership and organizational structure, Wal- do’s “One Team, One Mission” message was a perfect way to emphasize collaboration between our territorial sales reps, managers, and account specialists. His focus on accountability, preparation and resisting com- placency reinforced our focus on sustaining a high-performance culture.”
“Waldo completely exceeded our expectations. We were familiar with his work with other Verizon divisions, and based on previous testimonials, expected him to deliver. Needless to say, not only was his message out- standing, but he also delivered a great experience for our leaders.”
“I wanted to commend you on the exceptional job you did speaking at our Americas sales conference last month. It’s no small task to keep a 500 person audience from 23 countries engaged for an hour and a half but you did it! The advance preparation you did to understand the audience and our organizational challenges really impressed the attendees…”
“As a company in the process of driving major change, we needed a speaker who could help us focus on selling and working as a team. Waldo’s “trust your wingman” message went right to the heart of that concept. His energizing messages about perseverance, strategy, teamwork, and sales execution are ones that any true sales professional will take to heart. I couldn’t be happier with his program.”
“Your message transcended across the 100 top leaders of our global audience and inspired them to action. This was your second engagement with Delphi and you certainly did not disappoint. Still today, your motivational phrases continue to energize, and we are reminded to engage our fellow wingmen and create a culture of mutual support.“
“Waldo, your “One Team, One Mission” message, philosophy of trusting your wingmen, and becoming Mission Ready totally aligned with our teamwork goal. In all my years of attending sales meetings, you were simply one of the best!”
