Rob “Waldo” Waldman – Your Wingman

Lt. Col. Rob ‘Waldo’ Waldman – The Wingman – is a professional leadership speaker and author of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller Never Fly Solo. He teaches organizations how to build trusting, revenue producing relationships with their employees, partners, and customers while sharing his experiences as a combat decorated fighter pilot and businessman.

Waldo overcame massive claustrophobia and a fear of heights to become a fighter pilot and believes that the key to building a culture of trust lies with your wingmen – the men and women in your life who help you to overcome obstacles, adapt to change, and achieve success. In business and life, you should never fly solo! The solution to winning when the heat is on lies in the ability of every wingman in your organization, regardless of their role, to support the team and be 100% committed to the mission.

Audiences connect with Waldo not only because of his extensive business background, but also because he truly speaks from the heart and has an infectious passion for helping people. He makes a striking parallel that is memorable and exciting and brings fighter-pilot energy into each engagement. Waldo’s captivating personal stories combined with dramatic jet fighter video footage and inspirational music will encourage you to prepare diligently for every mission, face challenges with courage, build more meaningful relationships, and maximize your potential both in business and in life.

Waldo is a graduate of the U.S Air Force Academy and also holds an MBA with a focus on Organizational Behavior. A Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), his clients include Hewlett Packard, New York Life, Nokia, Home Depot, Aflac, and Johnson & Johnson. Ranked one of the Top 40 under 40 Business Leaders in Georgia, he’s been featured on Fox & Friends, CNN, Investor’s Business Daily, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, and Business Week online.

NEVER FLY SOLO! The Power of Partnership

Flying solo? You might think so. But take a good look around…You have support staff. You have managers. You have suppliers and distributors. And you have colleagues, family members and significant others. By placing your trust in those around you, you can overcome obstacles, adapt to change, serve your customer, and achieve success during adverse times. By placing your trust in your wingmen and by being a wingman to others, there is no mission you can’t complete. Lt. Col. Rob “Waldo” Waldman overcame a lifelong battle with claustrophobia and a fear of heights to become a combat decorated U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and highly successful businessman and entrepreneur. His motto is Winners Never Fly Solo! Through his captivating personal stories and high energy videos, learn how you, like a fighter pilot, can succeed in highly competitive and demanding environments. Discover how to prepare diligently for every mission; employ loyal wingmen to promote integrity and trust; and lead your team with courage, compassion and conviction. Be inspired to take to the skies knowing that you have wingmen to help you face challenges and change with confidence while maximizing your potential in all aspects of your life.

WINGMAN LEADERSHIP - HOW TO BUILD A CULTURE OF COURAGE IN BUSINESS AND LIFE

loyalty to the mission, and a relentless commitment to excellence lies with its leadership. In this high energy workshop, I highlight the difference between managing people, and leading them to be responsible, empowered and confident wingmen. What results is a more productive and efficient organization with superior morale that can rapidly overcome challenges in a competitive marketplace. Following this highly interactive and fun session, audiences will learn peak performance leadership tools based on 4 key concepts: Shared Vision – Each and every wingman in your organization must know exactly what they are fighting for. They must be committed to the mission, and understand exactly how their unique role in the organization is essential to its success. Values Based Culture – Integrity, accountability, mutual respect, and teamwork must serve as the foundation for all relationships between employees, and with partners and clients as well. Effective Communication -Leaders listen aggressively and communicate their vision with passion. They promote open communication and connect with the heart and soul of their wingmen. Train to Win Mindset – Successful leaders command flawless preparation, not flawless execution. They encourage their wingmen to expand their capabilities, and consistently reward high performers who take calculated risks and ‘push the envelope’ in order to grow.

"Waldo, your presentation was high-energy - you kept the audience entertained and captivated and I definitely could relate the wingman theory to our everyday work...I intend to use that philosophy with all the teams that I manage! In a nutshell, mission accomplished...PUSH IT UP!!" — Michelle Faria, Events Manager, Intel Corporation

"Waldo - fantastic job in both your preparation and execution! Fromour first contact through the high energy engagement and then finally with your follow up by way of helpful advice and e-mail tips, you are a true professional. Your ability to personalize your message was admirable, as you really embraced our focus on teamwork and trust at a critical time for our business." — Hal Hitch, Vice President, CIT Financial - Office and Technology Finance Group

"Waldo, you were the highlight of our meeting! Thank you for taking the time to know our business inside and out. I am, without hesitation, proud to be your wingman!" — Kaye McComas, Director of Recovery, Federated Dept Stores

"As Honeywell strives to create a strong relationship with our allied partners such as General Motors, Boeing, and Caterpillar, we always seek insightful speakers that are able to convey our message. Your valuable sales, leadership, and trust building strategies really hit home with our overall goals and objectives, and the feedback I heard was tremendous. You were perfect for our 'Ready for Take-off' theme!" — Tom Dalton, Vice President Worldwide Sales, Honeywell Sensing & Control