Soft Leadership Skills: June 9, 2021
Title: Strategic Leadership in a Dynamic Environment: Universal Lessons from Senior Military Officers (focus on Diplomacy, communication, innovation, teamwork)
Presented By: Kevin C. Holzimmer, Ph.D.; 
Professor of Comparative Military Studies at Air University’s Air Command and Staff College (ACSC); Former Professor at the US Air Force Research Institute and at the School for Advanced Air and Space Studies; Worked on Policy Concerns with Gen. David H. Petraeus’ USCENTCOM Joint Strategic Assessment Team; Conducted Fieldwork in Charting a U.S. Air Force Strategy Based Upon President Obama’s “Pivot to Asia” Speech; Ph.D. in Military History from Temple University.
Description: Senior military officers must lead in the most demanding and dynamic environment of all: war. Diplomacy, communication, innovation, teamwork, and overcoming the unexpected are critical tools the successful leader must integrate to develop a successful strategy. This webinar will explore how a select few military leaders effectively utilized these skills and how participants can apply them in their own organizations.
Learning Outcomes:
- Participants will be able to comprehend the human components of successful planning in a dynamic environment;
- Participants will be able to understand the importance of diplomacy as a pillar of strategic leadership;
- Participants will be able to recognize the utility of the “Observe, Orient, Decide, Act” Loop (OODA Loop) construct.
Biography: Dr. Kevin C. Holzimmer is Professor of Comparative Military Studies at Air University’s Air Command and Staff College (ACSC). Before his current position at ACSC, he was a research professor at the USAF Air Force Research Institute and taught at the School for Advanced Air and Space Studies. Dr. Holzimmer has published numerous journal articles and book chapters on World War II in the Pacific, including General Walter Krueger: Unsung Hero of the Pacific War (University Press of Kansas). He is currently working on a book-length project that examines how the air, land, and sea commanders forged an effective joint team that successfully fought the Japanese in Douglas MacArthur’s Southwest Pacific Area. In addition to his academic pursuits, Dr. Holzimmer has worked on recent policy concerns, first with Gen. David H. Petraeus’ USCENTCOM Joint Strategic Assessment Team (9 October 2008- February 2009) and most recently conducting fieldwork in charting a U.S. Air Force strategy based upon President Obama’s famous “pivot to Asia” speech. He holds a Ph.D. in Military History from Temple University.
