Every organization today claims to be “building resilience.”
Usually this involves a PowerPoint presentation, a new mouse pad, and someone suggesting we all practice mindfulness while our inbox accumulates 147 unanswered emails per minute.
That’s when you need someone who knows the difference between a crisis and a committee meeting.
After more than forty years studying leaders under pressure—and conducting groundbreaking doctoral research with Vietnam Prisoners of War—I reached a surprising conclusion: resilient people don’t survive because they ignore hardship. They survive because they refuse to let hardship have the last laugh. That’s how the Vietnam POWs avoided PTSD.
The Vietnam POWs endured years of isolation, torture, uncertainty, and deprivation. Yet, they told me that humor saved them. They found absurdity in an impossible situation because humor reminded them of something their captors could never take away: their identity.
Modern psychology eventually caught up with them. Studies now confirm humor lowers stress, strengthens relationships, improves creativity, broadens perspective, and helps people recover more quickly from setbacks.
I’ll combine remarkable stories from the Vietnam POWs, practical leadership lessons I’ve learned since, and enough laughter to make audiences temporarily forget they still have all those voicemails to return.
I’ll teach leaders to cut through confusion, overcome resistance, make better decisions, and keep their teams moving forward—even when the next disruption arrives before they’ve finished dealing with the last one.
Five Results You Can Count On
After this program, participants will know how to:
- Reduce stress and recover faster from setbacks by applying practical resilience techniques they can use immediately.
- Make better decisions under pressure by maintaining perspective, challenging assumptions, and avoiding costly mistakes.
- Strengthen trust and team cohesion through communication techniques that improve collaboration, reduce conflict, and build trust.
- Navigate change with greater confidence by reframing obstacles, adapting more quickly, and sustaining momentum despite uncertainty.
- Improve engagement, performance, and retention by using humor to strengthen relationships, solve problems, and keep talented people committed.
Grounded in my original research and supported by current studies on humor, resilience, PTSD avoidance, emotional agility, and post-traumatic growth, this keynote delivers practical tools audiences can apply immediately.
Because the truth is simple. Life will continue throwing curveballs. The best leaders learn how to hit them, and the wisest leaders occasionally laugh at the pitcher.
“Your presentation left a powerful impression. You paid a fitting tribute to the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect the liberties we enjoy.”
Todd Akin
U.S. Congressman“You instantly assessed the situation and provided an insightful, workable solution. You helped me believe that I could move forward and achieve.”
Rose Jonas, Ph.D.
President, The Jonas Company“We have received rave reviews from the group! Your presentation was timely and extremely relevant. Everyone appreciated how you were able to use humor to emphasize your ideas. I am sure your presentation will be the beginning of substantial learning on how to become a “magnetic boss.”
Tom Dickson
CEO, Banner Thunderbird Medical Center
