Martha McSally

About

About Martha McSally - Combat Pilot, Leadership Keynote Speaker on Overcoming Adversity:

Colonel (ret) Martha E. McSally is a pioneering combat-proven leader, inspiring speaker, and celebrated author. McSally is a compelling example of overcoming adversity and fear to achieve extraordinary feats. Losing her dad at the age of 12 and surviving sexual abuse and assault, she persevered to become the 1st woman in U.S. history to fly a fighter jet in combat and command a fighter squadron in combat. Along her journey, McSally had to overcome significant obstacles including U.S. law prohibiting women from flying combat jets. She persevered, held onto her dreams, continued to excel, and shattered glass ceilings.

In her speeches, McSally has the ability to take her lessons learned from combat, life, and extreme athletic endeavors and enthusiastically apply them in practical, memorable experiences propelling teams to excellence. Through humor, transparency, emotional connection, and powerful storytelling, she brings the audience into the cockpit, behind the scenes of high-stakes leadership moments in our nation’s history, and captures hearts along the way, all while imparting actionable take-aways that can immediately empower individuals and teams.

During her 26-year military career, McSally deployed six times to the Middle East and Afghanistan, flying 325 combat hours and earning the Bronze Star and six Air Medals. As a commander of her A-10 squadron, she oversaw $500M in assets and $40M in annual resources and was responsible for deploying her unit worldwide with just 24-hours’ notice. McSally was deployed to Saudi Arabia on 9/11 and became a key leader in planning and executing initial air operations in Afghanistan. As a Colonel, she was hand-picked as initial cadre to stand up U.S. Africa Command from scratch, building a complex organization with limited time and resources. She then led oversight of all African continent operations, including counterterrorism and disaster relief. This experience built on her expertise in strategic planning, process creation/improvement, knowledge management, logistics, and operations.

Colonel McSally is a values-driven trailblazer who demonstrates courage and integrity in her leadership, even when coming at a personal cost. She bravely took on the Pentagon in an 8-year battle to overturn discriminatory policies towards servicewomen deployed to Saudi Arabia—and won.

McSally knows how to build excellent teams founded in camaraderie, trust, and the ability to perform under pressure when the stakes are extremely high. She now takes these lessons from the cockpit and the skies of Afghanistan to equip your team to reach maximum potential as high performing individuals and significantly contributing teams within your organization.

McSally holds a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University’s JFK School of Government, a Masters in Strategic Studies from the Air War College where she graduated #1 in her class out of 261 senior military officers, and is a distinguished graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy. As a continuation of her service to our country and others and commitment to not walk by a problem, she served four years in the U.S. House of Representatives and two years as a U.S. Senator, which is not the focus of her speeches unless asked. (She often quips it was the least interesting thing she has done in her life!) She is the author of Dare to Fly—Simple Lessons in Never Giving Up, which motivates readers to overcome fear and adversity to achieve their full potential. McSally lives in Tucson, AZ where she enjoys hiking with her rescue Golden Retriever Boomer, running, and paragliding.

Through determination, discipline and grit, McSally has run over a dozen marathons, won three national military triathlon championships, and competed in two Ironman triathlons including the grueling Hawaii Ironman world championship where she won the women’s military division and placed 12th in the world in her age group. She also summited many peaks including Mt Kilimanjaro (highest mountain in Africa at 19,340 ft) and Mt Blanc (highest in Western Europe). She is a force of nature ready to inspire and equip your team.

Topics

What Martha McSally Talks About:

Be Unbreakable: The Leadership Edge in Uncertain Times

Lead With Courage. Adapt With Agility. Accelerate Growth.

Does your team need a battle-tested strategy to lead with confidence, adapt with agility, and turn uncertainty into unstoppable growth? Colonel Martha McSally has spent her life thriving in high-pressure, high-stakes environments—and she’s here to equip your audience with the mindset and tools to do the same.

In a world of economic volatility, industry disruption, and relentless change, hesitation can be the difference between success and failure. As the first American woman to command a fighter squadron in combat, McSally understands how to lead decisively, build trust-driven teams, and make bold moves—even in the most unpredictable situations.

A decorated fighter pilot, leadership strategist, and endurance athlete, McSally brings unmatched experience in overcoming adversity and making high-stakes decisions under extreme pressure. Beyond the cockpit, she has advised CEOs, competed in Ironman triathlons, and mastered the art of resilience—both in the battlefield and the boardroom.

McSally’s keynote is more than just inspiration—it’s a leadership game plan. She shares her WEDGE framework, a battle-tested roadmap to help leaders wake up, expand their capabilities, direct their focus, build trust, and execute with agility.

What to Expect:

Martha McSally delivers an electrifying, high-energy keynote that will have your audience ready to take action. Through powerful storytelling, humor, and real-world leadership lessons, she connects with each attendee’s challenges and provides them with a proven framework to thrive in uncertain times.

Audiences Will Learn:

How to stay calm, focused, and confident in the face of uncertainty
The decision-making strategies elite leaders use under pressure
How to build trust-driven, high-performance teams that execute relentlessly
A blueprint for shifting from reactive to strategic, agile leadership
How to transform adversity into momentum and lead with courage

This is not just another leadership talk—it’s a call to action. No more hesitation. No more playing small. It’s time to lead boldly, adapt rapidly, and accelerate growth.

Soar Like a Top-Gun Pilot: Leadership Lessons

Inspirational | Motivational | Actionable

Does your audience need inspiration, motivation, and actionable takeaways to push through adversity, overcome fear, and kick productivity into afterburner? Colonel Martha McSally has proven she has the right stuff to survive and excel in high-pressure, high-risk, high-stakes environments.

In today’s world of uncertainty and constant challenges, setbacks are inevitable. When your team needs motivation and practical tools to push through obstacles with innovation and resilience, Martha McSally is the leader to guide them. As the first American woman to command a fighter squadron in combat, she knows firsthand how to persevere, excel, and inspire others to succeed—even in the toughest circumstances.

A Bronze Star recipient and pioneer in aviation, Colonel McSally brings unparalleled experience leading men and women in combat, thriving in adversity, and navigating complex, high-stakes operations. Beyond her military career, she’s also an endurance athlete, mountain climber, and survivor who overcame personal tragedy and trauma with strength and determination.

With a life filled with triumphs, setbacks, and powerful lessons, McSally authentically inspires audiences while equipping them with actionable strategies to thrive. She shares how vulnerability, courage, and resilience are the keys to pushing beyond limits and soaring to your full potential.

What to Expect:

Colonel McSally will have your audience on the edge of their seats, feeling like they’re in the cockpit of the A-10 “Warthog” on a complex combat mission. Through humor, transparency, and gripping storytelling, she connects with each attendee’s personal challenges and provides a realistic yet optimistic flight plan for success—both professionally and personally.

Audiences Will Learn:

How to face fear head-on and turn setbacks into fuel for growth
The leadership principles needed to thrive in high-pressure environments
Strategies for building resilience and staying mission-focused in times of uncertainty
How to create routines and decisions that align with core values and drive success
The power of vulnerability and authenticity in leadership and life

How to Overcome Adversity and Adapt to Reach the Next Level
Inspiration | Peak Performance | Leadership & Agility

In a highly competitive world, overcoming adversity and adapting quickly are essential for success. Greatness comes from learning that nothing can stop you. When you can move through obstacles with confidence and resilience, success becomes inevitable. It’s the role of leaders to teach, push, and empower their teams to reach this mindset and perform at their highest potential.

Today’s fast-moving business landscape—marked by constant change, technological advancements, and global disruptions—can feel like modern-day warfare. Imagine unlocking combat-proven strategies to systematically take risks, adapt, and thrive. Colonel Martha McSally, the first woman in U.S. history to command a fighter squadron in combat, knows exactly how to lead under fire.

As a decorated combat leader awarded the Bronze Star, Colonel McSally commanded 24 A-10 attack aircraft and hundreds of personnel. She was responsible for $500 million in assets and deployed her squadron worldwide with just 24-hours’ notice. Under her leadership, her squadron earned the prestigious David C. Shilling Award for the best contribution to national defense.

Fighter pilots are trained to assess risks, adapt in real time, and execute with precision in dangerous environments—skills that apply directly to business and leadership. In this gripping and practical keynote, Colonel McSally shares battle-tested peak performance and risk-management strategies that will help your teams innovate, collaborate, and execute with agility and confidence.

To thrive in today’s ever-changing world, teams must adopt an agility mindset. When you’re light on your feet, leaning forward, and ready to adapt, challenges become opportunities for exponential growth. McSally’s step-by-step approach helps your team develop this mindset, beat the competition, and soar to new heights of performance.

From leading initial air operations in Afghanistan after 9/11 to setting up the U.S. Africa Command from scratch—overseeing counterterrorism, disaster relief, and large-scale operations—McSally’s expertise in strategic planning, process improvement, and leadership under pressure makes her uniquely qualified to inspire and equip teams for peak performance.

If you’re seeking a speaker who can inspire and practically equip your team for success in a turbulent world, book Colonel McSally now.

Audiences Will Learn:

Combat-tested risk management and decision-making strategies for high-pressure environments
How to develop an agility mindset to stay competitive and adaptable in a fast-changing world
Leadership lessons on motivating and empowering teams to achieve peak performance
Innovative approaches to overcoming challenges and turning setbacks into opportunities
Step-by-step tools to improve collaboration, strategic planning, and execution under pressure