Thomas Kolditz

Brigadier General Thomas Kolditz (Ret.) has spent more than 30 years studying leadership in the most extreme conditions imaginable, from combat zones to corporate boardrooms. A retired Army general with a PhD in psychology and three master’s degrees, he founded the West Point Leadership Center and later directed the Leader Development Program at the Yale School of Management.

Leadership as if Your Life Depended on It

Kolditz is the author of In Extremis Leadership: Leading as if Your Life Depended on It, a myth-busting look at what it truly takes to lead when the stakes are highest. He founded and led the Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University for seven years, building one of the most respected leader development programs in higher education.

From the Battlefield to the Boardroom

Kolditz’s research shows that the same principles that guide leaders through life-and-death situations apply directly to business and everyday life. Named one of Thinkers50’s 2025 Coaching Legends and selected as a Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coach, he has advised organizations including Google, GE, Ford, and Goldman Sachs on crisis leadership and leader development.

For organizations that want a battle-tested framework for leading through volatility and crisis, Thomas Kolditz delivers a keynote grounded in decades of research and real command experience.

What does Thomas Kolditz speak about?

Thomas Kolditz speaks on crisis leadership and leader development, drawing on more than 30 years of military and academic research into how people lead effectively when the stakes are highest.

What makes Thomas Kolditz a sought-after keynote speaker?

As a retired Brigadier General with a PhD in psychology and founder of the Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University, Kolditz brings rare, research-backed authority on leadership in extreme and high-pressure conditions.

Who books Thomas Kolditz?

Meeting planners book Thomas Kolditz for keynotes and leadership offsites where organizations want a battle-tested framework for leading through volatility, crisis, and change.

Leading In Uncertain Times

Current levels of uncertainty, historically unprecedented and globally widespread, create unique challenges for leaders. All leaders and followers are impacted. Extending from his 2026 book, Against the Storm: How True Leaders Prevail When the World Shakes, Tom Kolditz presents how leaders can transform uncertainty into opportunity, hope, and continuous achievement.

How The Best Leaders Manage Failures

Failure is inevitable, but how leaders respond to it determines whether it becomes a setback or a catalyst for growth. Drawing on his experience leading in the military and advising organizations around the world, Brigadier General Tom Kolditz shares practical strategies for helping people overcome the fear of failure, navigate the guilt and shame that can follow mistakes, and build a culture where accountability and learning go hand in hand. Leaders will also learn when retaining employees after a failure strengthens an organization—and why doing so can be one of the most powerful investments in long-term performance and trust.

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

Operating environments for both government and business are characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity—VUCA, 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.