Kristin Goodwin sits in her office with a framed letter at her desk, a constant reminder of what leadership truly means. The letter, from Staff Sgt. Desmond K. Awadzi, thanks her for opening doors that might otherwise have remained closed when she helped him achieve his goal of becoming an officer. It represents the heart of her approach to executive coaching and leadership development.
"Helping others write their next great chapter, opening doors that may otherwise remain closed, that is the type of leadership I work to always embody," Goodwin says.
The retired brigadier general has transformed her 28-year military career into a thriving executive coaching practice, bringing the precision of stealth bomber operations and Pentagon strategy sessions to corporate boardrooms and leadership development programs. As CEO and founder of The Delta-v, LLC, she advises Fortune 500 companies, technology startups and nonprofit organizations on creating high-performance teams through what she calls transformational leadership.
Her journey from breaking barriers as the first female Bomb Wing Commander in Air Force history to becoming a sought-after executive coach demonstrates how military leadership principles translate into corporate success. Today, she works with leaders across multiple industries, including technology, aerospace, cybersecurity, defense contracting, healthcare and nonprofit sectors.
Goodwin's approach to executive coaching draws directly from her military experience managing complex operations and diverse teams across global locations. In her final military role as Chief of Staff for Space Operations Command in the U.S. Space Force, she provided governance and oversight for 4,100 people supporting 38,000 space and cyber professionals across 134 global locations.
This experience taught her that extraordinary things happen when talented people unite behind a common mission. Her coaching philosophy emphasizes that success is built on trust, mutual support and understanding that every team member brings unique strengths to the mission.
"True success is never a solo journey," Goodwin says. "Extraordinary things happen when talented people unite behind a common mission."
Her R.I.Z.E. Workshop Series, titled "Break Through Isolation to Excellence and Essential Tools for High-Stakes Leadership," helps leaders navigate what she calls "Strategic Navigation Through Chaos." The program draws from her experience advising four-star generals, the Secretary of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Capitol Hill and the White House on strategic and operational matters.
Goodwin's coaching practice focuses on creating environments where people feel safe to innovate, make mistakes and learn from them, and push boundaries together. This approach stems from her belief that fostering a culture of high standards while embracing growth from challenges and setbacks leads to sustained organizational success.
The transition from military command to executive coaching wasn't immediate for Goodwin. After retiring from the Air Force, she served as Chief Operating Officer of Caribou Thunder, a provider of global and domestic engineering services. In this role, she oversaw operations, IT, and cybersecurity while serving as a trusted advisor to the CEO on crisis and change management.
Her impact was immediate and measurable. Brig Gen Kristin Goodwin guided a corporate culture reset that yielded 67 percent revenue growth, demonstrating how military leadership principles translate into tangible business results.
The experience at Caribou Thunder also shaped her understanding of how to navigate corporate environments while maintaining the strategic thinking that made her successful in military operations. She learned to balance the precision and discipline of military culture with the collaborative and innovative approaches needed in private sector leadership.
Today, as an executive coach, Goodwin brings this unique blend of military precision and corporate adaptability to her clients. Her cross-industry experience enables her to provide versatile, practical coaching approaches tailored to specific leadership challenges and organizational contexts.
Goodwin's coaching methodology emphasizes authentic leadership through genuine connection and strategic excellence. Her philosophy was shaped by encounters with leaders who demonstrated transformational impact through authenticity and genuine care for others.
She cites President Barack Obama as an example of authentic leadership, particularly praising his genuine ability to listen and connect. Having met with Obama personally to share how his leadership in repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell transformed her life and family's future, Brig Gen Kristin Goodwin witnessed firsthand how authentic leadership can break down barriers and create lasting positive impact.
Her coaching also draws inspiration from unexpected sources, including a young refugee camp leader she met while working at the Thai Embassy. Despite being a refugee himself, this leader managed his camp with extraordinary dignity and compassion, showing Goodwin that impactful leadership isn't about title or position but about serving others and creating stability amidst chaos.
"These two leaders, though worlds apart in circumstance, share common threads that define true leadership," Goodwin says. "Authenticity, genuine care for others and the courage to serve their communities regardless of the challenges before them."
This perspective informs her approach to developing executives who can lead with integrity and purpose regardless of their circumstances. Her coaching helps leaders understand that transformational leadership can emerge anywhere when someone chooses to step up and serve others with authenticity.
Central to Goodwin's coaching philosophy is her definition of success, which extends far beyond individual achievement.
"Success is not just about reaching a destination,” she says. “It is about the disciplined pursuit of excellence along the way and excellence is not about perfection, it is about learning, adapting and constantly striving to be better than yesterday."
Her coaching helps leaders create environments where people maintain high standards while embracing the growth that comes from challenges and setbacks.
Goodwin's work with Fortune 500 companies often involves guiding AI transformation initiatives, ensuring employee and stakeholder buy-in and engagement during technological changes. Her coaching emphasizes staying true to the mission while lifting others up, measuring real success not simply in personal achievements but in how leaders empower their teams to aim high, learn continuously and inspire the next generation to dream bigger and reach higher together.
Goodwin's coaching draws from practical lessons learned throughout her barrier-breaking career. Two key principles guide her work with executives facing complex leadership challenges.
First, she emphasizes the importance of not taking yourself out of the game before others have a chance to evaluate your potential. This lesson became clear when she considered applying to fly the B-2 Stealth Bomber, despite no woman having ever been part of the B-2 squadron at that time.
"Every time you step back from an opportunity because you think you are not ready or because it hasn't been done before, you are making a decision that should belong to someone else," she says.
The second principle involves not taking resistance or hostility personally. "When someone comes at you with resistance or hostility, do not take it personally," she says. "Everyone you encounter is on their own journey, carrying their own struggles and perspectives that you may never fully understand."
This understanding has proven invaluable throughout her coaching practice, helping executives maintain composure in challenging situations and respond with empathy rather than defensiveness. The approach enables leaders to navigate personal and professional challenges while building stronger relationships with their teams.
Goodwin's approach to executive coaching includes helping leaders maintain what she calls "life harmony" rather than traditional work-life balance. As a mother of two daughters and a professional managing multiple responsibilities, she understands the challenges executives face in maintaining peak performance across all areas of life.
Her daily routine reflects this philosophy in action. She starts her mornings at 5 a.m. with a gym session, gets her daughters ready for school by 6:30 a.m., and begins her workday by 8:30 a.m. Her schedule is filled with strategic meetings and meaningful client work, including one to two hours of executive coaching through The Delta-v.
Physical fitness plays a crucial role in her approach to sustained high performance. As an Ironman finisher, marathon runner, scuba diver and skier, she understands how exercise contributes to mental clarity and energy.
"I am an athlete and I will attest to the power of exercise in my life," she says. "It keeps me even-keeled, focused and overall feeling energized and alive."
Her coaching helps executives understand that maintaining physical health directly impacts their ability to lead effectively, make clear decisions under pressure and sustain the energy needed for transformational leadership.
Goodwin's story demonstrates how military precision, authentic leadership and genuine care for people combine to create transformational coaching that helps executives and organizations achieve extraordinary results.
Through her executive coaching and leadership development work, Brig Gen Kristin Goodwin continues to break barriers and redefine what's possible. Her commitment to helping leaders chart their course to extraordinary leadership ensures that her impact extends far beyond her own achievements, creating ripple effects of excellence that will influence organizations and leaders for years to come.
