Thomas Kolditz's biography
- Brigadier General (Ret.) and strategic leader
- Founder of five successful leader development start-ups
- Selected as a Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coach
Brigadier General (Ret.) Tom Kolditz is a leadership thought leader, author, and the founding executive director of the Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University. He is recognised as a Global Gurus Top 30 Start-Up Coach for 2024 and has been selected as a Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coach.
Tom is a social psychologist focused on developing leaders. He currently serves as the managing member of Saxon Castle LLC, a consultancy specialising in coaching and leader development. He founded and directed the Ann and John Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University for seven years. Before his tenure at Rice, he was a professor at the Yale School of Management, where he established the Leadership Development Program.
As a retired Brigadier General, Tom led the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at West Point for 12 years and was named Professor Emeritus upon retirement. He spent two years as a leadership and human resources policy analyst at the Pentagon and one year as a concept developer at the Center for Army Leadership. He received the Distinguished Service Medal, the Army’s highest award for service, and in 2017, he was honoured with the Warren Bennis Award for Excellence in Leadership, joining the ranks of notable recipients such as Doris Kearns Goodwin and Howard Schultz.
From 2018 to 2023, he was ranked in various coaching categories by Global Gurus, most recently placing 12th in Start-up Coaching in 2023. In November 2019, he was named the top university coach in the world by Thinkers50 MG100 in London.
Tom has authored over 75 publications, including books, chapters, and articles in academic and leadership journals. He developed the concept of in extremis leadership, a crisis leadership model, during his service in Iraq. His book on this topic, "In Extremis Leadership: Leading as if Your Life Depended On It," is used to train leaders in more than eight service academies across the US, UK, China, Israel, and Japan.
His second book, "Leadership Reckoning: Can Higher Education Develop the Leaders We Need," initiated a national movement aimed at enhancing leader development in higher education.
Thomas's showreel and videos
Topics, sessions and talks
Leading As If Your Life Depended On It
In a world marked by volatility and uncertainty, Tom Kolditz, author of "In Extremis Leadership: Leading as if Your Life Depended on It', explores how extreme situations can teach invaluable leadership lessons. His research demonstrates that the skills and principles honed in life-and-death scenarios are equally relevant in business and daily life. Attendees will learn how to apply these insights to enhance their leadership effectiveness in both personal and professional contexts.
The Principles Of Servant Leadership
In his keynote, Thomas Kolditz explores the concept of servant leadership, which contrasts with traditional leadership by prioritising the needs of others and sharing power. He highlights key servant-leader approaches and demonstrates how leaders can adopt these behaviours to enhance the growth and well-being of their teams and organisations. Attendees will learn practical strategies to implement servant leadership and foster a more collaborative and effective work environment.
Hope Is Not A Method: 40 Years Of Leadership Takeaways
Thomas Kolditz, with 25 years of experience teaching leadership and having led numerous organisations across four continents, emphasises the importance of specific techniques for effective leadership. In his presentation, he distils eight proven strategies that he regularly employs to achieve success. Attendees will gain practical insights that can be immediately applied to enhance their professional and personal lives.
Dodging Bullets: How To Prepare For The Next Crisis
In his engaging talk, Thomas Kolditz explores how leaders can proactively prepare their organisations to avoid crises. He shares specific processes and techniques that empower leadership to anticipate potential issues, fostering a more effective workforce. Attendees will learn valuable strategies to enhance crisis management and create a resilient organisational culture, ensuring they are better equipped to handle challenges before they arise.
Leaders Developing Leaders
Thomas Kolditz emphasises that a leader's most significant legacy lies in nurturing future leaders. His evidence-based approach demonstrates how every leader can directly enhance employee performance and retention. Drawing on leadership principles from West Point and the Yale School of Management, Tom provides a practical framework for leaders to maximise their impact. Attendees will learn effective strategies to develop their teams and foster a culture of growth and potential.
Why we recommend booking Thomas
Book Brigadier General (Ret.) Tom Kolditz to inspire your team with unparalleled insights on leadership. His unique blend of military experience and academic expertise equips him to transform mindsets and drive performance. Elevate your organisation’s leadership capabilities with a speaker who has shaped leaders globally and developed innovative crisis leadership models.
Thomas was a huge hit - everyone enjoyed his speech and I heard from a few folks that his session was their favorite part of Day 1. His talk was impactful, resonated well with our overall leadership theme, and had the perfect blend of humor. Thanks again for your help.
General Thomas Kolditz was a 10 out of 10! The responses from our key executives and leaders were extremely positive. Having a third party expert on leadership with a unique perspective not often seen in the business community was refreshing, informative and inspiring! We were extremely satisfied with Thomas.
General Kolditz is an engaging speaker who is able to make real-world connections between extreme military operations and leading in a corporate environment. His presentation was truly inspirational and insightful. The universal principles of leadership that Gen. Kolditz has researched and presented can certainly be transferred to a global company such as Siemens.
SVP, Communications & Marketing
SVP, Communications & Marketing
