In this episode, host Jowanza Joseph speaks with retired Brigadier General Tom Kolditz to explore what leadership looks like when lives are on the line, and why the best peacetime CEO might actually be the wrong person to lead you through a real crisis.
About the Guest
Tom (Brig. Gen., Ret.) Kolditz is a renowned expert in crisis leadership and leading in extreme contexts. He is the author of In Extremis Leadership: Leading as if Your Life Depended On It and served as the founding Executive Director of Rice University's Doerr Institute for New Leaders from 2015 to 2022. Named a 2025 Thinkers50 Coaching Legend, Tom currently leads Saxon Castle LLC, a coaching and leadership development consultancy.
Key Takeaways:
🚨 Defining In Extremis Leadership
Leading in a life-or-death situation fundamentally differs from everyday peacetime corporate management. We explore what followers truly demand from leaders when the pressure is on and the danger is real.
🤝 The "Shared Risk" Principle
A leader’s credibility in a high-stakes environment hinges on their willingness to face the exact same physical dangers as their team. If followers believe a leader is removed from the consequences, trust shatters.
🧠 Overcoming Tunnel Vision
When danger is present, human beings naturally narrow their focus. Tom breaks down the psychology of danger, explaining how leaders can train themselves to overcome this tunnel vision through rapid scanning and continuous sensemaking when information is incomplete.
🛑 Command vs. Collaboration
In a crisis, speed and consultation must be balanced. Tom discusses how to know exactly when to switch into "commander mode" and when you need to slow down to collaborate with your team.
📍 Presence in the Hot Zone
Physically showing up at an incident site has immense strategic value, but it can also backfire. We discuss the true role of physical presence in the first five minutes of a crisis.
📚 Resources & Contact
To dive deeper into Tom’s research on crisis leadership, explore his consulting work, and check out his upcoming releases, use the links below:
Website: tomkolditz.com
LinkedIn: Tom Kolditz
Company: Saxon Castle LLC
Books:
In Extremis Leadership: Leading As If Your Life Depended On It
Leadership Reckoning: Can Higher Education Develop the Leaders We Need
Against the Storm: How Leaders Prevail When the World Shakes (Upcoming in Summer 2026, co-authored with Mariana Khomitska)
