Stephen W. Harden

 

I believe everyone is created in God's image and therefore has - with the right coaching, inspiration, and motivation - the ability to succeed, to achieve, and to do worthwhile work that makes a dent in the universe. Helping others become their best self is what makes me tick, and has defined my life's work.

 

After graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy and earning my "wings of gold" as a Naval Aviator, becoming a jet aircraft flight instructor for the U.S. Navy awakened in me the joy and extreme satisfaction of helping others achieve their dreams.

 

That inner fire to coach others to be their best only grew stronger as I served as the Training Officer in a fleet fighter squadron - preparing my fellow pilots to complete complex missions flown from the deck of an aircraft carrier. That coaching instinct was honed to perfection when I subsequently served as an instructor pilot at the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN). There, I had the great fortune to "train the trainer" and teach the Navy's best pilots how to harness their own coaching skills so they could serve as squadron training officers.

 

Upon completion of my Navy service I became a pilot for FedEx and was soon training and coaching again. FedEx asked me to help design and deliver their very first Crew Resource Management (CRM) training program to improve the teamwork and communication skills of over 4000 pilots. This became the highest rated CRM training program in the U.S. and opened the door to other coaching and mentoring opportunities, including:

• Creating and delivering the first leadership development course for new airline Captains
• Producing the first CRM training course to use flight simulators
• Redesigning and implementing the new pilot interviewing and selection process
• Creating and teaching the first aviation fatigue countermeasures course
• Revising the pilot training curriculum to include teamwork and communications skills
• Becoming an FAA-certified flight instructor and examiner to train, mentor, and certify new B-727 captains and first officers 
• Designing and implementing an award winning safety program for the MD-11

This work helping others garnered seven awards for superior performance, flight safety, and Quality Achievement.

 

While serving as a Captain for FedEx, I co-founded Crew Training International, Inc. (CTI). CTI grew to be the world's largest provider of teamwork and communications skills training for military flight squadrons. The coaching, training, and mentoring programs built in to our products helped produce the greatest improvement in aircraft safety in U.S. Air Force history. Thousands of military pilots around the world benefited from our training.

 

In 2005 a new challenge beckoned and I became the founder, Chairman and CEO of LifeWings Partners LLC. LifeWings is a team of pilots, astronauts, physicians, nurses and Toyota-trained Lean experts that have helped over 200 health care organizations around the world to become high reliability organizations as they eliminate patient harm and drive out waste and inefficiency in their patient care processes.

 

LifeWings has provided me the opportunity to train and coach over 20,000 administrators, physicians, nurses, and staff. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing a healthcare institution achieve zero patient harm, create a great working environment, and improve patient care quality measures with the help of our coaching and training in:

• Leadership development
• Teamwork and communications skills
• Process improvement
• Data collection and analysis
• Leading organizational change

My fire and passion to see others become their best continues to burn bright. I share what I've learned about personal and organizational excellence around the world in conferences, workshops, presentations and group and one-on-one coaching sessions. I've authored, or co-authored, three books on patient safety, written hundreds of articles and newsletters, and designed over 40 separate training programs for commercial aviation, military flight squadrons, heavy construction, military contractors, and health care.

 

It is more clear than ever to me now that if you want a better organization (or life, or marriage, or partnership, or team...) you must become a better you. Nothing is more satisfying to me than being part of making that happen for you.