Wednesday April 25th, 2018

Kirk Lippold
Former Commander of USS Cole

Leadership and Accountability When It Matters

The privilege and burden of leadership comes with a level of accountability that many aspire to emulate and anyone can rise up to and achieve. Using a devastating suicide terrorist attack as a backdrop, Commander Kirk Lippold conveys how the principle of integrity created an environment for leadership where his crew felt imbued with a sense of ownership, seizing the opportunity to be responsible for their ship and not just their jobs. Their own sense of personal accountability and leadership proved to be a guiding principle in the crucible of combat. Lippold shares why his “Five Pillars of Leadership” are must-have business tenets for any team.

Florent Groberg
Former Army Captain and Medal of Honor Recipient

Opportunities Earned & Leadership Learned: An American Hero’s Journey

A true American hero as humble as he is grateful, Medal Of Honor recipient Florent Groberg shares with audiences an unforgettable story and equally remarkable lessons on leadership, selflessness, and the importance of setting goals and earning what you wish to achieve. With a palpable passion for sharing his journey to inform and inspire others, Groberg discusses the key stages and people in his life, and how they shaped him to be the leader, advocate and role model he is today, including: growing up abroad and lessons from his mother and adoptive father; his immediate, innate desire to take action as he watched the 9/11 terrorist attacks unfold from his college dorm room; his patient and persistent efforts to enlist in the U.S. Army; and his selfless actions in Afghanistan that earned him the nation’s top award for valor in combat.

Thursday April 26th, 2018

John Foley
Former Solo Pilot for the Blue Angels

TEAMWORK
Blue Angel precision is built on a solid foundation of teamwork. Every team member, from the crews on the ground to the pilots in the air, is held to the exact same standards of excellence. Unified alignment collapses barriers, and creates a powerful culture of action.

Working together towards a desired outcome. Teamwork is the collective potential of individuals harnessed to create an exponential outcome of a unit. Teamwork requires many variables including trust, communication, a belief in purpose greater than self, and a common goal.
A CenterPoint is a single reference point or a shared goal that holds the collective focus of a team. The concept of CenterPoint can be used to create unified, powerful action in any organization. A well and clearly communicated CenterPoint helps individuals maintain vision of goals and objectives. For teams, an effective CenterPoint keeps actions focused on priorities, while inspiring collaboration, which leads to faster outcomes, innovation and elevated trust.

EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT
When people are deeply engaged in their work and feel valued, they are more productive and elective, leading to a positive impact on the bottom line. Foley shares how management can stimulate performance by creating a culture that values expression of gratitude and appreciation—for opportunities, co-workers, and clients.

Robert Rudge
General Manager, Global Safety and Security – US Steel

From “You” to “Me” to “We” – How Safety Must Evolve from a Top-Down Directive, to an Item of Personal Responsibility, to a Culture of Shared Commitment

Robert Rudge will discuss how he expects the Company’s safety team not only to deliver the core safety program in a highly professional manner, but to ensure that employee safety performance and engagement, as well as safety culture are part of the overall business plan. The session will also examine how safety is a visible part of the Company’s overall organizational process of continuing improvement, as well as being integrated in the Company’s brand, values, sustainability, and business goals. Finally, Mr. Rudge will discuss how he expects the safety director and his/her team to provide support and solutions to the Company in decision-making, goal achievement and business strategy with an eye to the overall success of the Company.

2018 Conference Itinerary