82nd Airborne Division Master Parachutist Wings

Why you can trust All The Way Leadership!

There are a lot of experts in the world

The list of leadership gurus is long. I know because I have read many of their books, listened to their podcasts, attended their events, and completed their training courses. Over the past 30 years, I have learned a lot from many leadership experts like Peter Drucker, Dale Carnegie, John Maxwell, Tom Peters, Arianna Huffington, Simon Sinek, John Kotter, Marcus Buckingham, Molly Fletcher, Ken Blanchard, Jim Collins, Marie Forleo, Michael Hyatt, Seth Godin, Brene Brown, Tony Robbins, and Sheryl Sandburg. I would list more names, but you get the point.

Peter Drucker is the original leadership guru - his books are excellent.
Peter Drucker is considered by many as the original business management and leadership guru.

All The Way Leadership! believes you need more

A company designed with one purpose in mind – to make you a better leader. I am not here to sell a book, or peddle a podcast, or try to get you to sign up for a seminar. Those things will come later. For now, I am focused on helping you grow and develop as a leader through curated compelling content and practical training. Nothing more, nothing less. The question then becomes – why should you turn to All The Way Leadership! for your professional leadership training needs.

Why trust me to serve as a guide for your journey?

Below you will find five compelling reasons why All The Way Leadership is well suited to help you achieve your goal of becoming a more effective leader. They are all true.

  1. Employed – all of us have real jobs that keep us busy. We work for a living as leaders. We do not live in an ivory tower or work from home on our next book project. Instead, we are in the trenches doing our best to be effective leaders ourselves.
  2. Experienced – all of us have served in leadership positions across a wide variety of organizations to include military, government, academic, private industry, and non-profits. We will share decades of lessons learned and best practices.
  3. Engaged – all of us do our best to stay current on leadership trends. We read leadership books, listen to podcasts, attend events, watch webinars, and complete leadership training on a regular basis. Currency and relevance matter.
  4. Educated – all of us earned degrees from leading universities and institutions. All great leaders are learners, and we want to set an example.
  5. Enthusiastic – all of us are passionate about training the next generation of leaders to make the world a better place. It is difficult to hide our enthusiasm for leadership.

“We” are currently an Army of One

I have been working on All The Way Leadership! for over a year. It has taken a long time to get here. I officially launched on March 1st, 2019. Yes – it is just me for now. I plan on adding business partners as the company grows over the next several years. If you meet the criteria outlined above, have a passion for leadership, and would like to collaborate on a project feel free to contact me at allthewayleadership@gmail.com

Why I called this company All The Way Leadership!

When creating this company I had to think of a name. All The Way Leadership! seemed appropriate. It is based on the motto of the US Army 82nd Airborne Division. My first duty assignment as an Infantry Officer in the US Army was at Fort Bragg, home of the 82nd All-American Airborne Division. It was a demanding assignment – only the best of the best get to serve in the 82nd.

The 82nd Airborne Division is over 100 years old.

No slackers allowed in the 82nd

Before going to Fort Bragg I was highly concerned that I might not have what it takes to be a successful leader. The challenge of leading an Airborne Infantry Platoon seemed daunting. Not to mention that when I arrived the Division was just returning from the first Iraq war. The reality was that I was a brand spanking new 2nd Lieutenant taking over a seasoned platoon of combat veterans. Imagine that being your first leadership role. To say I was intimidated by the job would be an understatement.

The unit patch of the 82nd All-American Airborne Division.
The unit patch of the 82nd All-American Airborne Division.

The Army prepared me well to lead

Let’s start with the good news. I had already completed several training courses such as Airborne School, Ranger School, and was Jumpmaster certified. On paper, I was a good fit for the job, but I completely lacked real-world experience. My father was a retired US Army Infantry Colonel at the time. He graduated from West Point, served multiple tours in Vietnam as a Green Beret, and was a highly decorated leader with extensive combat experience. I respected my father and considered him a life-long mentor. I decided to call my father for advice.

My father during one of his tours in Vietnam
Photo of my father while serving in Vietnam.

My father gave me great advice

He recommended that I start working hard, really hard with an intense focus on learning the ropes, mastering my craft, and growing my leadership abilities. That is exactly what I did. I busted my ass to get better. I gave it my all, learning from my mistakes, taking notes about what worked and did not work as a young leader in a high-speed organization. Four years in the 82nd taught me a lot. The list of everyone I learned from is too long to list here.

General James Gavin is a personal hero of mine.

The 82nd motto – All The Way, Airborne!

It is actually more than a motto – it is a mindset. Basically, it means that paratroopers in the 82nd give their best to accomplish the mission and are willing to go all the way. I took that mentality with me into my next assignment and the next one, and the next one after that. It has served me well over the years in all my roles – military leadership, academic endeavors, and private industry. I hope to pass along that mindset to others as they look to increase their impact and change the world for the better.

My Company Commander photo - circa 1998.
My Company Commander photo – circa 1998.

ATW! is designed to make you a better leader

I hope you join me on this journey to raise up the next generation of leaders. The world is in desperate need of more great leaders. Women and men who lead with confidence, clarity, and creativity. It’s time to become the leader that your world needs. Let’s go All The Way!

ATW Leadership!

Published by

Doug Keating

Veteran leader and life-long learner. Founder of All The Way Leadership! Former US Army Airborne Ranger and Officer. Passionate about training the next generation of leaders to change the world.