Biography

Book Marc Koehler through The Keynote Curators.

Marc Koehler, a former U.S. Navy Nuclear Submarine Officer and turnaround CEO, is a rare blend of expertise, engagement, and 35 years of battle-tested, proven experience in Elite Leadership, evangelizing that what the world needs is not more management systems – it needs more leadership.

Marc Koehler is the founder of the leadership development and research firm, Lead With Purpose, where he took the over $1M in leadership training the Navy poured into him and distilled it down into simple concepts and skills to create leaders at every level of an organization. Over 51,000 leaders have been developed through Lead With Purpose’s SHRM-accredited organizational leadership consulting, coaching, courses, and simple systems.

Marc’s experience in both nuclear submariner service and the business world has lead him to be one of the foremost experts on Elite Leadership  – a needed, relevant, and achievable approach to leadership for this new, disruptive world Marc is the best-selling author of, “Leading With Purpose, a hands-on guide to developing engaged, empowered, and encouraged employees. He is also the host of the Surfacing Leaders podcast, where he tells the stories of leaders in unlikely places and the human spirits that drives as all.

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FAST ATTACK LEADERSHIP: The 5-Step Framework Nuclear Submarine Officers Use to Build World-Class, Highly Resilient Teams

OVERVIEW:

In the high-stakes world of submarine warfare, having a world-class team that is highly resilient and agile is not a luxury; it's matter of life and death. Imagine spending 1000+ days under the surface of the ocean, cramped into a cold, steel tube, no sunlight or fresh air, and completely isolated from family and loved ones and having to making split second decisions that impact the lives of 110 crew members and fate of a $1B vessel.

It was only through a purpose-driven culture, which is best expressed by the submarine motto, "Either we all Come to the Surface or No One Does" that they were able to complete missions critical to national security be resilient a n d agile in the face of dynamic change and adversity.

In this keynote Marc unveils the extraordinary parallels between submarine command and effective business leadership he found as both a US Nuclear Submarine Officer and turnaround CEO for struggling companies. Marc shares compelling stories from 400 feet below the surface of the ocean and in countless struggling businesses and how Fast Attack Leadership is what is needed today by leaders to create world-class teams that are 9X more aligned, 4X more engaged, and highly resilient and agile.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

- The Power of t h e 5-Step Framework: Gain a comprehensive understanding of the 5-Step Framework that US Nuclear Submarine Officers employ to create world-class steams.
- Resilience and Agility in Adversity: Learn how to foster resiliency, agility, & adaptability within teams, enabling them to thrive amidst turbulence.
-Creating a High-Performance Culture: Align their teams, boost
productivity, and drive results even in the most challenging circumstances.
-Transformative Impact: How the Fast Attack Framework & Mindset significantly increases personal & collective connection and resiliency.

Actionable Strategies for the Future: Leave with actionable strategies to implement immediately within their organizations.

LEAD WITH PURPOSE: THE 3-Step Process To Communicating And Connecting Your Employees To Your Company’s Inspiring Story And Mission.

OVERVIEW:

Research is showing us t h a t 95% of employees don't how what they connect to making a difference in the world, eroding employee engagement, productivity, and retention. In Marc Koehler's keynote Lead With Purpose, he presents The 3-Step Process to Communicating and Connecting Employees to Your Company's Inspiring Story.

He shares his transition from the U.S. Navy to the corporate world, where he learned the intricacies of big business tools and strategies. However, his early experiences as an interim CEO revealed a startling truth: despite having complex m a n a g e m e n t systems, most employees lacked a genuine connection to their company's mission and purpose. This realization ignited Marc's pursuit of a new approach that would create engaged, empowered, and encouraged teams: an E3 Culture™ powered by purpose. By using images, code words, and a clear narrative derived from the Silent Service, leaders can empower their teams to understgand not only individual roles but also their collective impact on the company's long-term success. Consider this keynote the new Start With Why for this generation.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

- Understanding t h e Importance of Purpose: Comprehend the critical role of purpose-driven leadership in today's disruptive environment.
- Exploring the Fast Attack Framework: Gain an in-depth understanding of the Fast Attack framework and grasp how each step contributes to fostering employee engagement and alignment.
- Simplifying Complex Concepts:
Learn effective strategies to distill complex organizational concepts to simple, memorable formats.
- Measuring and Addressing Disengagement: Acquire the skills to
identify signs of disengagement and understand its implications for productivity and performance.
-Applying Purpose-Driven Leadership: Leave with practical
insights on leveraging the Fast Attack framework.

SAFETY FROM THE SILENT DEPTHS: Navigating The Seas of Safety in High-Stakes Environment

OVERVIEW:

In Safety From the Silent Depths, Marc Koehler, former U.S. Navy Nuclear Submarine Officer and esteemed Elite Leadership experts, draws from a wealth of experiences that span from the depths of the ocean to the helm of Fortune 200 companies. Having spent 300 days per year under the ocean's surfae as the SUBSAFE Quality Assurance & Safety Officer, Marc understands the critical importance of safety, readiness, and swift decision-making in life-threatening situations where every moment counts. Through his journey, he has uncovered the essence of safety, transforming it from a mere organizational practice into a way of life.

In this gripping keynote, Marc delves into the core principles that, among other accomplishments, earned his two coveted Battle E awards during his tenure in teh U.S. Nuclear Submarine Force and reduce OSHA Safety incidents 34% for a Fortune 200 Aerospace and Automotive Manufacturer.

He explores his unique framework, emphasizing the power of leading with purpose before process. Marc reveals the transformative impact of engaging and connecting every team member, addressing the three fundamental human needs that drive us all. With a focus on purpose-driven leadership, Marc's real-world, declassified stories a n d research-backed insights extend beyond mere compliance, offering profound perspective and how safety can become ingrained in the fabric of an organization aand its people.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

- Purposeful Leadership: Learn how purpose-driven leaders can instill a sense of meaning and commitment, elevating
safety practices from obligatory routines to passionate endeavors.
-Human Connection: Learn how fulfilling the three things humans crave can create supportive environment where safety is a shared responsibility.
- Swift Decision-Making: Understand the critical role of decisive actions in mitigating risks and ensuring the safety of every team member.
- QA and PM Programs: Compelling case study of how the U.S. Submarine Force has successfully ensured the safety, reliability, and effectiveness of these extraordinary vessels.
-Transformative Safety Culture: Explore practival methods to empower employees, encouring them to become ambassadors for safety.

THE ELITE LEADER: The Principles To Develop You And Your Team To The Highest Level of Leadership

OVERVIEW:

A transformative journey into t h e heart of leadership excellence, Marc Koehler's The Elite Leader keynote offers a roadmap for personal and organizational transformation, setting you and your team on the path to the Highest Level of Leadership.

Marc guides the audience through the evolution of Elite Leadership, from its origins in the military to its modern-day significance in the workplace. Marc unveils why Elite Leadership was imperative for military survival and why the ever-changing work environment now demand its application.

You'll gain insights into transforming your leadership mindset and developing the skills needed to thrive amidst disruptions. Marc's keynote empowers you to champion a culture of shared leadership, where every team member becomes an Elite Leader, prepared to tackle challenges head-on.

Equip yourself with actionable strategies to instill readiness, cultivate situational awareness, andfoster critical thinking within your organization. Marc's engaging narrative draws from real-world experiences and offers practical tools to effect meaningful cultural change.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

-Historical Roots of Elite Leadership: Understand the origins of Elite Leadership in t h e military, revealing its relevance in modern workplaces.
-Transitioning to Modern Demands: Explore t h e parallels between historical military necessity and the current forces pushing organizations to embrace Elite Leadership.
-Transforming Your Leadership Mindset: Learn the essential steps to reframe your approach leadership, embracing the Elite Leader mindset.
-Cultivating Shared Leadership: Discover the tools and strategies to create culture where each team member is recognized as a leader.

BRAVO ZULU: Harnessing The Power of Recognitions, Celebrations, and Gratefulness

OVERVIEW:

In the face of challenges, one m o m e n t of recognition can transform exhaustion into engagement turning a burnt-out individual into a motivated team player. The reality is, however, that we aren't doing a good job in the U.S. of recognizing our employees and capitalizing on this powerful practice.

In fact, 85% of U.S. employees say they aren't recognized enough at work. Drawing from his own experiences, Marc Koehler unveils the profound impact of recognizing and celebrating the efforts of individuals in his keynote Bravo Zulu: Harnessing the Power of Recognitions, Celebrations, a n d Gratefulness. He delves into the science and psychology behind the act of recognition a n d maintaining a state of gratefulness, sharing valuable insights o n how leaders can create a culture of recognition that drives exceptional performance.

In today's fast-paced world, where appreciation can often go overlooked, Marc illuminates the path to creating an environment where each individual's efforts are celebrated, leading to remarkable business outcomes, reduced turnover, and a sense of purpose that resonates throughout the organization.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
- Define Your Company's Bravo Zulu: Discover the transformative power of recognition and how it connects everyone to the mission.
-The Science of Recognition: Explore the link between recognition, human needs, and dopamine release in the
brain.
-Impact on Employee Engagement: Gain insights via students that reveal the directional correlation between recognition frequency and increased engagement levels.
-The Art of Storytelling: Explore a 4-part framework for crafting
memorable recognition stories that inspire a n d resonate.
-The Power of Public Recognition: Uncover why public recognition enhances the emotional impact, triggers empathy, and multiplies the positive effects of recognition.

BATTLE E: The Art of Personal and Collective Readiness At Your Organizaation

OVERVIEW:

In the military, readiness is not just a goal; it's a way of life. It's about being fully prepared for the mission at hand, anticipating the unexpected, and thriving amidst disruptions. Marc Koehler brings to light the powerful concept of "Battle E," a prestigious a w a r d p r e s e n t e d to select U.S. Navy ships, submarines, and units that exhibit unparalleled readiness in the keynote Battle E: The Art of Personal a n d Collective Readiness.

Marc himself received two 'Battle E' awards during his distinguished submariner career, a testament to his firsthand experience in achieving and sustaining peak readiness and performance both personally and collectively. Unlock the military's innovative expertise-driven matrixed t e a m s
approach, where individuals with specialized skills step up in their areas of mastery.

Battle E is your guide to transition from a hierarchical organization to a matrixed organization that will empower your teams and propel your company to readiness at every level for this new, disruptive world.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

- Operational Readiness Mindset: Understand the significance of fostering a culture where every individual, team, and department is primed for disruptions and challenges.
-Empowering Transformation: Transition from traditional hierarchial structures to matrixed organizations where employees are empowered and meet high expectations.
-Expertise-Driven Matrixed Teams: Explore how the military's strategy of having the right person take point in their area of expertise.
• Cultivating Learning-At-Speed: Learn to nurture learning-focused culture that equips individuals to adapt, innovate, and step up whenever the mission calls.
-Question-centric leadership: Explore how the military's emphasis on asking impactful questions fuels critical thinking, knowledge sharing and preparedness.

COURSE CORRECT TO SUCCESS: Cultivating Agility Within Your Leadership Team

OVERVIEW:

Picture this: a workforce fully connected to the mission, brimming with engagement and eager to seize responsibility seize responsibility and make crucial decisions. This ideal scenario hinges on enabling every individual, irrespective of rank, to step up and take well-informed shots.

In today's landscape, the triumph belongs to the teams that consistently make the smartest decisions at breakneck speed. Marc Koehler advocates for leadership where every team members empowered to do just that—nurturing a culture that thrives on agility. In the relentless a n d ever-shifting landscape of today's business world, the capacity to navigate uncertainty, make well-
informed choices and pivoot with precision stands as the cornerstone of triumphant leadership.

Join Marc for a journey through the intricacies of rapid decision-making in Course Correct to Success: Cultivating Agility within Your Leadership Team. Drawing u p o n his 35 years of hands-on
expertise, he unveils a transformative blueprint that empowers leaders across all tiers to steer their teams toward unparalleled victory.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

- Agile Decision-Making Empowers Success: Navigate ambiguity, make informed choices, and pivot swiftly to
best guide teams toward victory.
-Decentralized Decision-Making Amplifies Impact: Understand that
when decision authority is distributed, teams make more smart decisions.
-Overcoming Decision Fatigue and Choice Overload: Embracing the 40-70 principle encourages a shift in mindset, allowing leaders and teams to make informed decisions even when faced with uncertainty.
-Leveraging Technology for Agility: Simple Systems like Fast Attrack serve as invaluable tools for keeping everyone connected, informed and focused on their goals.
-Embracing Ambiguity and Taking the Shot: Begin accepting that initial decisions are not final and adopting a continous course correction approach.

Testimonials

Marc's keynote was AWESOME! Our leadership team from around the world said it was the best leadership meeting they had ever been to. We've heard from multiple military speakers in the past and Marc found a way to connect with each person in the audience through riveting stories. Marc took big topics that traditionally would spin us out and made them simple and digestible. We want Marc to come back in 6 months to keep us honest!
– Becton Dickinson - Kristen Rein, Director, M&A Integration
We had such a great response coming out of Marc's keynote. We really enjoyed his submarine and turnaround stories - with English not being everyone 's first language, the concepts could have been misunderstood but instead were explained through simplicity and stories. This helped the entire audience understand the content and concepts, so much so that we took action right away. We've already taken our six-line mission & vision statement, simplified it, and attached an image to it!
– Philips - Jennifer Hoover, Head of Design for eXcellence, Procurement & ISC Engineering
Marc Koehler delivered an excellent Fast Attack Leadership keynote and workshop for our rising leaders forum and our executive leadership team. The content led to meaningful dialogue and Marc was able to expertly connect his experiences to the leadership challenges facing our industry. Marc and his team were professional and provided personalized promotional resources to elevate the event and the experience.
– American Bakers Association - Pippa Oshea, Senior Manager, Events and Programming.
We had Marc present at our annual all-firm virtual event. From our newly hired interns to our partner group, Marc’s message resonated with everyone. Weeks after the event, I still have people telling me how much they appreciated hearing from Marc. When your employees walk away from a keynote with both memorable and actionable ideas, you know you hit the nail on the head in selecting a speaker. I’d highly recommend Marc to any organization looking to inspire leadership at all levels.
– ABDO - Jana Cinnamon, CEO
Marc brought the US Navy's proven leadership practices into our leadership development event in a way that engaged the whole group.  From his examples of life undersea (including the average age of the people in the room controlling the maneuvers of the submarine is around 25yrs old!) and his prior experience turning around companies, his workshop was engaging and empowering for us all.
– YPO Illinois - Tiffany Ray, Chapter Engagement Manager
When we engaged Marc to speak to our whole company, we were hoping that there would be some clear safety parallels between his submarine experience and the high hazard industry that we work in. But honestly, Marc took it to a new level… his engaging style had the audience rapt with attention, the way he spoke about his personal experiences in and out of the Navy made his talk so relatable, and he managed to connect everyone to the safety and learning agenda through the use of powerful storytelling, which was our ultimate goal. His occasional use of the chat functionality showed just how engaged the whole audience were. And so much great post-event feedback from our staff… Outstanding!!
– Kosmos Energy - Julian Austin, SVP HSE, Facilities, Production Engineering
Marc Koehler delivered an outstanding keynote for our ENGAGE @ American Business Bank event. He captivated an audience of business owners with his insightful and actionable content. His ability to hold attention while providing practical strategies left a lasting impact on our attendees. I highly recommend Marc for any business event looking for an engaging and meaningful keynote.
– American Business Bank - Eric Dole, SVP

Booksby Marc Koehler

Leading with Purpose

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Blog Posts

 

Embrace Your Authenticity and Lead Better Teams with Mike Robbins

Great teams aren’t built on talent alone—they’re built on trust, authenticity, and strong human connections....

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"Creativity is intelligence having fun." – Albert Einstein Somewhere along the way, many of us...

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Creative thinking isn’t just an extra skill—it’s the ultimate competitive edge. In today’s hyper-competitive business...

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I used to think success meant having it all figured out. That if I just...

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What makes a leader truly exceptional beyond simply completing daily tasks? In a world where...

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