Speaking
Leadership Lessons From Aviation
Practical, story-driven keynotes that help leaders move from technical expertise to people-first leadership, drawn from Ron’s experience as a Naval Flight Officer and Aerospace & Defense industry leader.
Ron Higgs is a graduate of the US Naval Academy, he earned "Wings of Gold" as a Naval Flight Officer, flew jets from aircraft carriers, conducted hazardous flight test missions, and taught the best of the best as a flight instructor at the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School.
He thrived in high-stakes environments where leadership failures are not an option. Today, he uses those same lessons to help technical leaders make the mindset shifts they need to lead people, not just projects.
About Ron Higgs
Ron Higgs is a dynamic executive coach, speaker, and author with over 25 years of leadership experience spanning the U.S. Navy and the world of engineering management. As a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, a seasoned Naval Flight Officer, and Aerospace Engineer, Ron has led teams through high-stakes environments. His fast-paced, informative presentations based on his “Leadership Lessons From Aviation” are highly actionable and engaging.
Ron specializes in helping engineers and technical professionals make the critical mindset shifts required to excel in leadership, drawing on his operational expertise and real-world experiences in the Navy, large corporations, small businesses, and startups. His sessions leverage aviation themes and feedback-driven learning to demystify leadership, empowering audiences with practical, immediately applicable steps to lead with confidence and strategic purpose.
Since founding Wolf Management Solutions, Ron has worked with clients across diverse industries, advised startups, and guided technical professionals toward impactful leadership without losing the essence of their technical strengths. His engaging keynotes and workshops are crafted for engineers and technical leaders who want more than theory—they want results and the tools to get there.
Drawing from over 2,500 hours in various aircraft and a lifetime of mission-driven leadership, Ron’s work has been featured in engineering industry events and thought leadership forums. Attendees consistently praise his ability to combine stories from aviation, lessons from high-performing teams, and a systems-thinking approach to deliver memorable and transformative learning experiences.
Ron is also the author of “A Mindset Shaped by Naval Aviation,” featured in the book “Winner's Mindset: Peak Performance Strategies for Success,” and the creator of practical guides such as “From Technical Expert to Leader.” When he’s working, Ron enjoys traveling, good food and drink, and most of all spending time with his wife, Gina, and their golden doodle, Lucy.
“
What Organizers are Saying
Ron was one of the most impactful keynote speakers we’ve ever had at PDX. Engineers can be a tough audience—we want depth, clarity, and real-world applicability. Ron delivered all of that effortlessly.
He took complex leadership concepts and translated them into simple, actionable frameworks that immediately clicked with our crowd. What sets Ron apart is his rare blend of technical credibility and people-leadership mastery.
He speaks the language of engineers but also knows how to push us into true executive-level thinking. His stories from naval aviation, test piloting, and leading teams were engaging, relatable, and packed with insight.
If you want your technical leaders to grow, align, and elevate their impact, Ron is the person to bring in. He’s engaging, practical, and genuinely transformative.”
Founder, Product Development Expo (PDX)
Host, Being an Engineer Podcast
Leadership Lessons From Aviation: Mindset Shifts For Technical Leaders
Most people think leadership success means having all of the answers, being certain of everything, and being the smartest person in the room. But as a Naval Flight Officer flying high-performance jets from aircraft carriers, Ron Higgs found just the opposite to be true.
Why?
Conditions in aviation change constantly—weather, aircraft status, air traffic, and directions from air traffic control. Ron learned early that safety, mission success, and survival relied not on “having all the answers,” but on listening to others, making sound decisions under stress, and adapting to ever-changing circumstances.
Years later, after a career in the Navy and leadership roles in business, Ron discovered that the secret to success on the ground was rooted in what he lived as a Naval Flight Officer in the air. In both flying and leadership, one critical skill stands out: the ability to adapt—and the trust to let your people do the same. Because in leadership, just like in a military jet, planning is essential, but plans rarely survive first contact with reality.
Markets shift, competitors rise and fall, people come and go, and data gets misinterpreted. In those moments, success isn’t about control; it’s about communication, clarity, and the confidence to let others step forward. This session reveals how Ron translates aviation’s toughest lessons into practical tools for leaders navigating today’s workplace—where adaptability, trust, and alignment make the difference between crashing and cruising.
