Thomas Kolditz

Brigadier General (Ret.), Leadership Thought Leader, Author, and Founding Executive Director of the Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University, Global Gurus Top 30 StartUp Coach 2024, chosen as a Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coach

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Business Speakers Corporate Culture Speakers Management Speakers Leadership and Inspiration Leadership Speakers Change Speakers Military Virtual Keynote Speakers Business Transformation/Change Management

Thomas Kolditz

Add To My Favorites Check Fee/Availability

In-Person Fee Range:

$15,001 - $20,000

Fee Details

Virtual Fee Range:

Inquire for Fee

Traveling from:

Illinois

Why Book

General Tom Kolditz brings all three worlds to the speaking stage, as well as his trademark brand of “In Extremis Leadership,” featured in his authoritative book.
A world-renowned and visionary expert on leadership in times of crisis, turbulence and extreme conditions, General Kolditz shares critical research and insights along with unforgettable stories, case studies and inspiring anecdotes.
His “no fluff,” straight-shooting, and pragmatic presentations empower audiences to take the initiative, learn from failure, achieve goals, and become better leaders—offering concrete takeaways that they can put into action right away.

Biography

Leadership Expert & Executive Coach

Tom Kolditz is a social psychologist who develops leaders. He is currently the Managing Member of Saxon Castle LLC, a coaching and leader development consultancy. He founded the Ann and John Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University and led it for 7 years. Prior to Rice, he taught as a Professor in the Practice of Leadership and Management and founded the Leadership Development Program at the Yale School of Management.

Distinguished Military Leadership Career

A retired Brigadier General, Tom led the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at West Point for 12 years, and was titled Professor Emeritus after retirement. He served for 2 years as a leadership and human resources policy analyst in the Pentagon, and a year as a concept developer in the Center for Army Leadership. General Kolditz is a recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal, the Army’s highest award for service.

Awards & Global Recognition in Leadership

In 2017, he was honored with the prestigious Warren Bennis Award for Excellence in Leadership—an honor also bestowed on Doris Kearns Goodwin, Howard Schultz, Tom Peters, and Benazir Bhutto. From 2018 to 2023, he globally ranked in various coaching categories by Global Gurus, an independent research and professional ranking organization, most recently, #12 in Start-up Coaching in 2023. In 2019, he was selected by Thinkers50 MG100 as the #1 University Coach in the world in London in November 2019.

Thought Leadership & Published Work

Dr. Kolditz has published more than 75 books, book chapters, and articles across a diverse array of academic and leadership trade journals, and served on the editorial and advisory boards of several psychology journals. He developed the concept of in extremis leadership—an original crisis leadership model—while serving in Iraq. His subsequent book on that topic, In Extremis Leadership: Leading as if Your Life Depended On It, currently helps train leaders in more than 8 service academies in the US, the United Kingdom, China, Israel, and Japan. His second book, Leadership Reckoning: Can Higher Education Develop the Leaders We Need, launched anational movement to improve the quality and quantity of leader development across higher education.

Global Impact & Crisis Leadership Initiatives

Understanding the power of scale, Tom partnered with the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to design and administer a Carnegie Elective Classification titled “Leadership for Public Purpose,” as a challenge to 5200+ colleges and universities to examine and improve the professional development of students, and is a member of the Leadership for Public Purpose National Advisory Committee.

In 2022, he worked with the largest employer in Ukraine, DTEK, and the International CoachingFederation, to pilot and administer a grand scale coaching strategy in business and government to assist and accelerate the resistance and recovery of Ukraine.

Education, Credentials & Professional Affiliations

He is a Fellow in the American Psychological Association and a founding member of the Board of Advisors for the Department of Psychology at the University of Missouri. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology from Vanderbilt University, three Master’s degrees, and PhD in Psychology from the University of Missouri. Credentialed by the International Coaching Federation, Tom was also awarded an honorary Doctorate of Professional Practice by the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

Programs

In Extremis Leadership: Leading As If Your Life Depended On It

Operating environments for both government and business are characterized by volatility, complexity, and uncertainty—perfect conditions for crises to emerge. Brigadier Gen. Tom Kolditz, author of In Extremis Leadership: Leading as if Your Life Depended on It, shows how extreme life-and-death situations can offer profound lessons for leaders in any setting. Tom’s research reveals that the leadership skills and principles evident in dangerous settings also apply to leading in business and everyday life, making this program applicable to both personal and professional success.

Hope Is not a Method: 40 years of Leadership Takeaways

Too often, leaders hope for success without using specific techniques for leading effectively. After leading dozens of organizations on 4 continents, and teaching leaders and leadership for 25 years, Tom distills eight proven techniques he uses regularly to get the job done as a leader. This presentation is extremely pragmatic and will allow for immediate application in peoples’ professional and personal lives.

Leaders Developing Leaders

One of a leader’s most powerful legacies is developing the leaders who follow them. Leadership development programs in business are often focused on talent managers and HR directors. Brigadier Gen. Tom Kolditz illustrates how, in an evidence-based way, each leader can personally and directly develop their people, increasing the performance and retention of employees and building a solid foundation for the future. Tapping leadership development principles used at West Point, the Yale School of Management, and other high-performing organizations, Tom’s presentation creates a clear path and practical framework for leaders to have greater impact and influence over their people while simultaneously helping them achieve their potential.

Dodging Bullets: How to Prepare Your Organization for the Next Crisis

Few people want to be put into a position of being crisis managers. So how can leaders prepare organizations to avoid crises before they occur? In this engaging talk, Brigadier Gen. Tom Kolditz will take the audience through specific processes and techniques to help leadership anticipate and prevent crises and have a more effective, more empowered workforce every day.

Topics

Business Speakers, Corporate Culture Speakers, Management Speakers, Leadership and Inspiration, Leadership Speakers, Change Speakers, Military, Virtual Keynote Speakers, Business Transformation/Change Management,

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who is Thomas Kolditz?

Thomas Kolditz is a Brigadier General (Retired), social psychologist, and high-performance leadership speaker represented by Eagles Talent Speakers Bureau. He is the founding Executive Director of the Ann and John Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University, led the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at West Point for 12 years, and previously founded the Leadership Development Program at the Yale School of Management.

2. What does Thomas Kolditz speak about?

Thomas Kolditz speaks about leadership in extreme environments, “in extremis” leadership, character-driven leadership, leader development at scale, change management, and building leadership programs inside organizations. His work draws on decades of military command, academic research, and hands-on program building at Rice, Yale, and West Point.

3. What audiences is Thomas Kolditz best suited for?

Thomas Kolditz is best suited for C-suite audiences, senior military and defense organizations, executive education programs, higher education leadership summits, Fortune 500 leadership development, and organizations going through major change or transformation. His material assumes sophisticated leadership audiences.

4. What makes Thomas Kolditz different from other leadership speakers?

Thomas Kolditz is one of the few leadership speakers combining command of troops in life-and-death settings with rigorous academic and applied program-building credentials. He is a recipient of the Army’s Distinguished Service Medal and the 2017 Warren Bennis Award, an honor also held by Doris Kearns Goodwin, Howard Schultz, Tom Peters, and Benazir Bhutto. He was also named a Global Gurus Top 30 StartUp Coach in 2024 and a Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coach.

5. How do I book Thomas Kolditz for an event?

To book Thomas Kolditz for your event, contact Eagles Talent Speakers Bureau at 1-973-313-9800, email info@eaglestalent.com, or submit a speaker inquiry at eaglestalent.com. Eagles Talent will confirm his availability, coordinate logistics, and provide a customized quote for your specific event.

6. What Are Thomas' speaker fees?

Thomas Kolditz’s speaking fee varies based on event date, location, format (in-person keynote, virtual session, executive workshop), travel from Illinois, and audience size. Eagles Talent Speakers Bureau provides customized quotes for each engagement. To receive current fee information, contact Eagles Talent at 1-973-313-9800 or submit an inquiry at eaglestalent.com.

7. Can Thomas Kolditz customize the keynote for my audience?

Yes. Thomas Kolditz customizes each keynote to the audience’s leadership context, whether the challenge is executive succession, cultural transformation, team performance under pressure, or building internal leader development. He conducts pre-event discovery with stakeholders and tailors his frameworks and case studies accordingly.

8. What do audiences say about Thomas Kolditz?

As a military leadership expert and organizational leadership speaker, he is widely praised for translating real-world leadership experience into actionable insights. Event attendees often highlight that his presentations are engaging, insightful, and grounded in real leadership challenges, not just theory.