Shannon Huffman Polson

Shannon Huffman Polson is a military veteran, author, and leadership speaker whose career includes several historic milestones in military aviation and leadership development. Polson was among the first women to fly the Apache attack helicopter in the U.S. Army. She received her commission through the Duke University ROTC program and completed training at Fort Rucker, Alabama, graduating with honors from the Aviation Officer Basic Course. Polson was the first woman assigned as a line pilot to the XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where she led a flight platoon and deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of the Stabilization Force supporting the Dayton Peace Accords. She later commanded A Company, 1-2 Aviation at Camp Page, Korea, becoming the first woman to command an Apache line company in the 2d Infantry Division.

Polson's achievements extend beyond her military service. She became the youngest woman at the time to summit Denali, North America's highest peak. Polson holds a Master of Business Administration from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Seattle Pacific University. She has led teams in the corporate sector at Guidant Corporation and Microsoft Corporation. Polson has been recognized for her service and achievements by Senator Maria Cantwell.

As an author, Polson has written "The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience and Leadership in the Most Male Dominated Organization in the World" and the memoir "North of Hope: A Daughter's Arctic Journey." In "The Grit Factor," Polson connects with female pioneers in military and aviation leadership, including Heather Penney and General Ann Dunwoody. Her leadership writing has appeared in Business Insider, MarketWatch, Huffington Post, and Forbes.

Polson is the founder of The Grit Institute, which focuses on leadership development. She serves as faculty at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth in the Leadership and Strategic Impact program and hosts "The Grit Factor" podcast. With extensive experience speaking to organizations globally, Polson delivers keynotes on leadership, resilience, and grit, drawing on her background in military aviation and corporate leadership.