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Kevin Sweeney    

Decorated Combat Pilot, Fortune 50 Executive, All-Conference Collegiate Athlete & Author

Kevin Sweeney, 'the Colonel' is a leader of men and women for over 30 years and an author. He is a leadership expert who speaks to corporations and associations on performance under pressure, decisive leadership, and how to become the teammate your customers covet. He is the author of two books, Conversations with the Colonel, Lessons in Life, Leadership, and Wisdom and also the book, Pressure Cooker Confidence, How to Lead When the Heat is On.

'The Colonel' is the only person to have ever landed a KC-135, the military version of the Boeing 707, after the two engines on his left wing came totally off the airplane and he did it at night, at maximum gross weight on a Desert Storm Combat mission.

He has also been an Executive at a Fortune 50 company, a major software company and an all conference athlete in college.

Specialties: 'The Colonel' inspires and motivates your managers, team leaders and executives to project the core values of effective leaders and possess the ability to make key decisions with certainty while displaying an unwavering determination to win. He combines a passion for success with a team building vision that establishes trust within your organization so that when the pressure comes, and it will come, everyone is fully committed, knows their role and is ready for action with winning results.

Speech Topics


Mission Accomplishment

In addition to his renowned keynotes, Kevin can moderate an interactive breakout session for your event in which the group explores the reasons behind why aircrews are so effective in their mission execution and mission performance no matter what happens. Aircrews seem to excel at their highest level when they are under pressure, delivering a very high mission success rate.

Kevin will answer the question as to why aircrews are so effective and known for performing under pressure and why they respond to emergencies so well. The session will examine this performance model and understand how it can easily be applied to achieve noted professional and personal success that we all strive to attain.

Leadership in Challenging Times

True and effective leadership is not based upon rank or position. True and effective leadership is a critical and earned gift from the people you lead.

In this presentation Lt. Colonel Kevin Sweeney will show you how to:

Identify personal attributes of great leaders

Become the teammate that makes you a great leader

Discover integrity characteristics that great leaders demonstrate

Differentiate between good and great leaders - whether the leader is a C-level Executive or a 4 star General.

Leadership in Challenging Times is a thought provoking and insightful presentation from someone personally experienced in both military and corporate leadership traits.

Confidence to Excel under Pressure

Learn how to: Excel in today's ever changing economy, Be a decisive leader for both your team and your customers, and Become the teammate your customers covet. Kevin Sweeney, 'The Colonel', will teach you these critical attributes for success in our high pressure world by placing you in the cockpit with him as you relive his dramatic life-or-death flight during a combat mission in Desert Storm when both engines on his left wing came completely off the airplane. You will understand the skill, resolve, and team attributes necessary to lead your team to a successful landing in such dire circumstances, and you will learn how to apply these same pertinent principals to your personal and professional life to excel under the pressures we all face. You will learn how to become the 'go to' person in your organization for both your team and your clients when the going gets tough.

Conversations with The Colonel

Imagine getting the opportunity to sit in your living room and have a conversation with The Colonel-a man who battled the physical loss of both engines on the left wing of his airplane during a night combat mission in Desert Storm and won; a man who has achieved insurmountable success as a sales leader and corporate executive and led his college basketball team to its highest ranking in history. Well... imagine no more. Conversations with the Colonel puts you and your team front and center, up close and personal, with Lt. Colonel Kevin J. Sweeney. The Colonel discusses an authentic, ethical and realistic view of the attributes needed for successful performance under pressure.

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