Expert speaker, consultant, and author of LIFTOFF: An Astronaut Commander’s Countdown for Purpose-Powered Leadership, Rick Searfoss speaks with authority and expertise born of exercising leadership in the most dynamic, challenging, and dangerous of settings. Coupling that real-world experience with a powerful and exciting stage presence, he has for over a decade been inspiring and enlightening audiences worldwide.  He’s among less than 10% of all professional speakers and the only astronaut to have earned the National Speaker’s Association Certified Speaking Professional designation, the industry’s gold standard for speaking skill and experience. With compelling firsthand examples and exciting, unique stories, Rick speaks from the heart to inspire, motivate, and uplift, and teach audiences.  His speaking mission: “to share the leadership, execution excellence, teamwork, and innovation lessons of human space flight to empower organizations to achieve out-of-this-world results!”

Colonel Searfoss is one of only a handful of people out of many thousands of hopefuls ever selected to be an astronaut. He piloted two space flights and commanded a third, the most complex space life sciences mission ever flown, STS-90 on space shuttle Columbia. His leadership led to one of NASA’s most successful space missions ever:  sterling results with a $500 million dollar project on a $2 billion national asset.  Prior to becoming an astronaut Rick was a fighter pilot and test pilot in the U.S. Air Force, with over 6100 hours flying time in 84 different types of aircraft.  A distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Fighter Weapons (Top Gun) School and the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, he’s also held executive level positions in the aerospace.  Concurrently with his speaking activities he still consults and is a test pilot on leading-edge aerospace projects, including serving as the Chief Judge for the $10 million Ansari X Prize for the first private reusable human spacecraft and test flying the world’s only liquid-fueled experimental rocket plane.

Rick completed a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the USAF Academy, a master of science degree in aeronautics from the California Institute of Technology on a National Science Foundation Fellowship, and USAF Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff College, and Air War College. His numerous awards include the Harmon, Fairchild, Price and Tober Awards as the number one overall, academic, engineering, and aeronautical engineering graduate in his USAF Academy class, USAF Squadron Officer’s School Commandant’s Trophy as top graduate, Tactical Air Command F-111 Instructor Pilot of the Year, Outstanding Young Men of America, early selection to Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel, Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, NASA Exceptional Service Medal, NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Legion of Merit.

Rick Searfoss Keynote Presentations

The Launch Your Leadership! Series of Keynote Presentations
Expert speaker and author Rick Searfoss’ four main programs are built upon the 4P Leadership Performance Balance model of Purpose, People, Perspective, and Program. Featured in his book LIFTOFF: An Astronaut Commander’s Countdown for Purpose-Powered Leadership, this model presents the keys for real leadership, team performance, operational innovation, and effective execution. While each keynote has a particular baseline emphasis, Rick will gladly combine and customize his messages to meet the needs of every audience.
All programs use spectacular video and still imagery to illustrate key points, giving gripping, powerful visual impact to match the inspiring, content-filled messages.

Rick’s presentations are far more than speeches. They are out-of-this-world multimedia experiences inspiring, influencing, and impacting audiences for lasting change and growth.

LEADERSHIP, RISK TAKING, ATTITUDE  (Purpose Emphasis)
True leaders balance all these elements to get the job done, build their organization, and uplift their followers.  Colonel Rick Searfoss, Top Gun fighter pilot, test pilot, and astronaut, personally knows that commanding a Space Shuttle mission requires the utmost in competent, trustworthy, and service-oriented leadership. Too much is at stake for anything less than the real “right stuff!”  Crucial real-world lessons delivered with high energy for all leaders!

TEAMWORK, TRUST, ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT  (People Emphasis) 
Astronaut crewmates must act in unity as a finely honed team, literally trusting their lives to one another while fulfilling their nation’s trust to care for billions of dollars of national assets and achieve real results for mission success.  They also need to lead and motivate the members of a vast variety of other specialized teams for the mission to succeed.  It’s the perfect model for any ambitious team venture!  Space Shuttle Commander and “team captain” Rick Searfoss shares these universal teamwork principles to accelerate your team’s ascent to the pinnacle of cohesion and success.

INNOVATION, ADAPTABILITY, RESILIENCE  (Perspective Emphasis)
Develop flexible adaptability and robust resiliency to embrace the opportunities change offers.  Research, innovation, and the exploration of the unknown in space give startling examples of adaptability.  Amplified with Rick’s unique current test pilot work helping develop leading-edge new technologies with the most creative private space companies of the new millennium, this program  will prepare your team to innovate your way to a profitable and exciting future!

EXECUTION, ACCOUNTABILITY, MANAGEMENT  (Program Emphasis)
Human space flight demands the relentless pursuit of execution perfection.   Learn how to apply the real-life execution principles learned from leading Space Shuttle missions to your own dynamic business challenges.  Colonel Searfoss’ Preparation, Awareness, Persistence, and Accountability Effective Execution System provides crucial keys for those in today’s difficult business environment who must get the job done, and done right!