Brigadier General (Ret.); Leadership Thought Leader, Author, & Founding Executive Director of the Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University
Thomas Kolditz Biography
A soldier, scholar, skydiver, author, executive coach and much-honored leadership thought leader, General Tom Kolditz’s celebrated career in the military, higher education and business consulting has been driven by a singular mission: Helping people from all walks of life become better leaders, ready for crisis, adversity and extreme conditions. A recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal, the Army’s highest award for service, General Kolditz was also named a Top Leadership Thought Leader by the Leader to Leader Institute and received the prestigious Warren Bennis Award for Excellence in Leadership, an honor shared with George Schultz, Benazir Bhutto and Doris Kearns Goodwin. He is also ranked #13/30 in coaching by Global Gurus and was ranked in the top eight globally by Thinkers50, the premier global ranking among management thinkers.
Kolditz is one of the most experienced and educated leadership experts of our time. An intellectually gifted scholar, he holds a BA from Vanderbilt University, three master’s degrees, a PhD in psychology from the University of Missouri, and an honorary Doctorate from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. He taught at West Point, Yale University, and Rice University for 22 years. He is a widely published author of two books and more than 75 journal articles, and is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association.
Yet unlike most academics, he is also a profoundly experienced leader. He has been the principal responsible for 12 organizations, both military and civilian, over 35 years leading people across four continents. A retired Brigadier General, he commanded thousands of troops, served in combat, and was awarded the Army’s highest medal for service. He is the successful founder of five leader development start-ups, including the Ann John Doerr Institute for New Leaders. In 2017, General Kolditz was honored with the prestigious Warren Bennis Award for Excellence in Leadership—an honor also bestowed on other brilliant scholars like Doris Kearns Goodwin and Tom Peters, and other outstanding leaders like Howard Schultz and Benazir Bhutto.
He is the author of "In Extremis Leadership: Leading As If Your Life Depended On It," an authoritative book based on more than 175 interviews taken on the ground in Iraq during combat operations. His latest book, "Against the Storm: How True Leaders Prevail When the World Shakes," offers a practical, experience-driven framework for how leaders can build trust, make high-stakes decisions, and guide people through extreme uncertainty, crisis, and potential chaos.
General Kolditz now focuses on developing others. He has spoken to more than 350 audiences worldwide and is a highly sought-after professional leadership coach, ranked multiple times among the top 15 coaches internationally by both Global Gurus London and Thinkers50, most recently, #3 in the 2025 Coaching Legends.
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Thomas Kolditz Speaking Topics
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In Extremis Leadership, Leading As If Your Life Depended On It
The contemporary operating environments for both government and business is characterized by volatility, complexity, and uncertainty—perfect conditions for crises to emerge. Brigadier Gen. Tom Kolditz shows how extreme life-and-death situations can offer profound lessons for leaders in any setting. Gen. Kolditz’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.
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Dodging Bullets: How to Avoid 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? Gen. Kolditz will take the audience through specific processes and techniques to help leaders anticipate and prevent crises and have a more effective, more empowered workforce every day.
Thomas Kolditz Videos
Dr. Thomas Kolditz on Houston Newsmakers
This week’s guest on Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall says many of those rioting and millions more in the country fell victim lies and...
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How do I book Thomas Kolditz to speak at my event?
Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Thomas Kolditz for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Thomas Kolditz, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Thomas Kolditz or any other speaker of your choice. -
What are the speaker fees for Thomas Kolditz
Speaking fees for Thomas Kolditz, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Thomas Kolditz are $20,000 - $30,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Thomas Kolditz, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent. -
What topics does Thomas Kolditz speak about?
Thomas Kolditz is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Adventure, Adventure, Business, Business Leadership, Change Management, Disruptive Thinking, Economy, Emotional Intelligence, Future of Work, Futurism, Health & Wellness, Human Resources, Leadership, Military, Motivational, Personal Growth, Political, Psychology, Public Health, Social Sciences, Teamwork & Teambuilding, Thought Leadership, Virtual -
Where does Thomas Kolditz travel from?
Thomas Kolditz generally travels from Houston, TX, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent. -
Who is Thomas Kolditz’s agent?
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Thomas Kolditz is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as In Extremis Leadership, Leading As If Your Life Depended On It , Dodging Bullets: How to Avoid Crisis , Lessons from Sky Diving and High Risk Activities , Bringing Innovation Leadership to a Legacy Organization, Leading Through Tragedy and Leaders Developing Leaders. The estimated speaking fee range to book Thomas Kolditz for your event is $20,000 - $30,000. Thomas Kolditz generally travels from Houston, TX, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Richard Florida, Eric Boles, JP Pawliw-Fry, Jenn Lim and Afterburner. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Thomas Kolditz for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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