Richard Strozzi-Heckler

Biographical Information
"Richard Strozzi-Heckler, Ph.D. is founder of the Strozzi work and President of Strozzi Institute. A nationally known speaker, coach and consultant on leadership and mastery, he has spent four decades researching, developing, and teaching the practical application of Somatics (the unity of language, action, emotions, and meaning) to business leaders, executive managers and teams from Fortune 500 companies, NGOs, technology start-ups, non-profits, the U.S. government and military.

"Richard is the author of seven books, including The Leadership Dojo, In Search of the Warrior Spirit, The Anatomy of Change, Holding the Center, Being Human at Work, The Mind/Body Interface, and Aikido and the New Warrior. His articles have appeared in Esquire, East West Journal, The Whole Earth Review, and numerous other publications. In October 2000, a Wall Street Journal cover story featured the groundbreaking leadership program developed by Richard for the United States Marine Corps.

"He was named one of the Top 50 Executive Coaches in The Art and Practice of Leadership Coaching, Jossey-Bass, 2004 and Profiles in Coaching, Linkage Publications, 2003. He is also the Honorary President of the Peruvian Coaching Association. He is the co-founder of the Mideast Aikido Project (MAP), which brings together Palestinians and Israelis through the practice of Aikido.

From 2002 to 2007 he was an advisor to NATO and the Supreme Allied Commander of Europe (SACEUR) General Jim Jones, who is now the National Security Advisor.

"Richard has a Ph.D. in Psychology and is a sixth degree black belt in the martial art of Aikido. He also holds ranks in Judo, Jujitsu, and Capoeira.

"Richard has taught at the University of Chicago, Harvard University, Sonoma State University, Esalen Institute, Lone Mountain College, Naropa Institute, and the University of Munich. Richard was the 2009 William Dickson Leader-in-Residence for the Ukleja Center for Ethical Leadership at California State University, Long Beach."

"In the mid-1980’s, Richard became involved with a classified project for the Army Special Forces, with a mission to train a group of Green Beret’s to become more effective in all areas of their existing expertise. The outcomes of the training showed a 50 to 100 percent increase in mental, emotional and physical capacity, with a marked increase in leadership ability from participants. Realizing the leadership possibilities inherent in the discourse of somatics, Strozzi Institute, the Center for Leadership and Mastery was born." For more on this see Richard Strozzi Heckler, In Search of Warrior Spirit (Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Press, 2nd edition, 1992). (blurb by Michael E. Haas)

In 1976, Strozzi-Heckler, together with George Burr Leonard and Wendy Palmer, established the Aikido of Tamalpais dojo in Mill Valley, California. wiki

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