Don Schmincke: From MIT Planetary Physicist to Training CEOs (Strategy Skills ep. #230)

For this episode (#230) of the Strategy Skills Podcast, we interviewed a best-selling author, Don Schmincke. Don is a former MIT and John Hopkins Institute researcher turned organizational strategic development consultant. He’s the guy CEOs bring in when many other experts fail.

When CEOs asked Don to research and analyze the high failure rates when it comes to strategic planning, management theory,  M&A, and culture change they didn’t realize the power of primal, genetic triggers he’d uncover, and that those primal triggers can help their companies grow much faster than the methods traditionally used by CEOs and executives.

Yet, would it not be expected from an MIT and Johns Hopkins researcher with many adventures behind his belt:

• from getting nearly arrested as a capitalist spy in the Soviet Bloc,
• to getting shot off an aircraft carrier,
• to developing missile inertial guidance systems while his frat brothers took Vegas (later showcased in the movie “21”)?

Don is a best-selling author and trains 700 CEOs annually. He also shares his unique methods at keynote speeches around the world. Don’s scientific methods make him the thought leader in applying anthropology, genetics, and evolution to strategic growth. CEOs find it a refreshing alternative to the traditional theories.

Don’s interactive workshops, keynotes, and panel discussions have made him a Top 10 speaker in the world’s largest CEO organization. He presented over 2,000 speeches around the world, working in over 100 industries. He is a speaker that doesn’t just speak but implements his work in many industries with a money-back guarantee.

Don’s systems have been validated in organizations from the Fortune 100 like DHL, Verizon, U.S. Navy, and DuPont. He is also an author of best-selling books, which include:

“The Code of the Executive” (available in 12 languages)

“What a book! Short, Fast, effective 1000 years of leadership principles in 100 pages. It should be read and remembered by every executive.” Brian Tracy

and “High Altitude Leadership” (with NBC Emmy-nominated climber Chris Warner).

“Using harrowing first person accounts of life and death… eight lessons leaders need to learn to reach the highest peak of success in business. Dare to be a high altitude leader. Read this book!” Ken Blanchard

Don’s work was published in over 14 languages and he was featured by The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, CNN, and MSNBC.com, and more than 60 industry publications.

Don works with clients around the world, flying 200K miles annually. He works with clients across every industry including non-profits, healthcare, distribution, technology, manufacturing, communications, insurance, and finance. He also, from time to time, speaks at universities sharing his unconventional techniques with graduate students.

This episode is available on iTunes, YouTube, and StrategyTraining.com.

The Strategy Skills Podcast is the channel where strategy partners and the world’s top thinkers teach you the tools and techniques to solve mankind’s greatest problems. Every week, we release powerful episodes where we discuss concepts to help listeners advance their strategy, operations, implementation, and communication skills, enhance their critical thinking ability and build their executive presence.

Take care,

Kris Safarova

P.S. If you genuinely find our podcasts helpful, we would greatly appreciate you supporting us with a review for our Apps (Apple or Android) and iTunes channels.