Leadership is often defined by how a person shows up during moments of pressure, uncertainty, and change. It is not just about giving direction, but about building trust, creating clarity, and helping others move forward with confidence. The ability to lead effectively comes from experience, reflection, and a deep understanding of people.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Mike Smith has developed a leadership approach that brings together discipline, empathy, and strategic thinking. His work spans military service, corporate leadership, and executive coaching, with a consistent focus on meaningful, people-centered transformation.

Dr. Mike Smith is a Global Executive Leadership Coach, the Founder and CEO of Smith Research & Development LLC and serves his local leadership community as a Vistage Chair.

The Foundation of a Leadership Mindset

Before coaching corporate leaders and keynote audiences, Dr. Mike Smith spent over two decades navigating the demands of the United States Air Force. His 26-year military career included key leadership roles such as Contracting Superintendent, Flight Chief, and Honor Guard leader. Among these, his time as First Sergeant of the USAF Thunderbirds stood out as a defining chapter.

In this role, he was responsible for the welfare, morale, and readiness of one of the Air Force’s most elite team. It was an environment where performance expectations were sky-high, travel schedules relentless, and public visibility constant. Additionally, he was tasked with guiding people through pressure, instilling pride, and connecting with purpose, while also ensuring team members’ families were cared for and had what they needed during the 8-month long airshow season.

These experiences taught him that true leadership starts with people. Not only their tasks, but their attitudes, their behaviors, and values. That realization served as the foundation for all that came next. It informed his dedication to building high-trust, high-performance cultures in which people can flourish without sacrificing who they are.

The Corporate Chapter

Dr. Smith moved into the corporate sector after his military retirement, joining Berkshire Hathaway Energy. As a Senior Analyst for Internal Employee Investigations and Corporate Safety Manager, he collaborated with leadership groups through realignment, strategy changes, and culture development.

These tasks routinely involved balancing policy and compassion. Regardless of whether he was walking leaders through departmental restructuring or addressing delicate personnel issues, his style remained one of service and simplicity. His experience served to reveal trends others had not noticed, and his point of view gave additional weight to decisions that affected scores of workers.

Reflecting on this chapter, Dr. Smith says, “At every level, leadership is about service. Whether you’re guiding a squadron or coaching a boardroom, your job is to create clarity, build trust, and help others rise.”

It is this same principle that formed the basis of Smith Research & Development LLC. His work now combines military discipline, business acumen, real world experience and psychological know-how into strategies that propel people and organizations forward with direction.

Coaching with Intention

Dr. Smith’s approach to coaching is rooted in something deeper than professional development. It is built on intention. Every workshop, one-on-one session, or executive engagement is designed to deliver meaningful change. Not the kind that fades after a keynote, but the kind that lasts because it aligns with the core of who a leader is.

With a PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and credentials from Harvard and Notre Dame, Dr. Smith combines academic expertise and field-proven experience. But it’s his real-world experience that sets his coaching apart. He knows the pressures leaders feel because he has experienced them. In uniform, in board rooms, and on the front lines of change. Recently, his work was recognized with the Executive Coach of the Year – 2025 award in the HR and Employment Category by Corporate Vision, a global publication based in the United Kingdom.

His values that drive his work are reflective of the ones he lives by each day: professionalism, equity, humanity, and teamwork. They are not only codified in his company’s structure, but they are also integrated into every conversation. From executives needing clarity to teams fighting culture, his process starts with knowing what matters and why. That clarity is what serves as the beginning for growth.

Leading Through Change

Change in a business reaches every level of the business. It challenges people, disrupts systems, and often tests the strength of a company’s culture. Dr. Mike Smith has worked closely with leadership teams in times of transition, where clarity and trust are key. He enables leaders to relate strategic direction to their team’s needs and concerns. This leaves room for more honest conversations and better decisions. His focus is not merely on what must be altered, but on how to lead individuals through the process with integrity and compassion.

“Change can be crazy, but with the proper guidance, it is a catalyst for growth,” Dr. Smith affirms. By balancing structure with emotional intelligence, he facilitates organizations in establishing alignment that lasts. His work helps teams move forward with greater purpose, creating a foundation for stronger performance over time.

Alignment as Strength

Underlying Dr. Smith’s professional achievements is a solid personal foundation. Alignment between personal development and professional duty, for him, is not a luxury but a necessity.

He speaks often of the role of discipline in upholding leadership. From staying physically fit through exercise with his wife to earning new certifications that sharpen his skills, Dr. Smith views growth as an ongoing process.

This alignment also shows up in his conception of success, such as client feedback, moments of revelation during coaching sessions, and abiding shifts in team dynamics.

Redefining Success Through Service

Dr. Mike Smith defines success by the strength of the leaders he helps shape and the cultures he helps improve. His work is built on consistency, values, and a deep respect for the long-term impact of leadership done well.

At Smith Research & Development LLC, and as a Vistage Chair, he collaborates with those striving through challenging leadership issues. He brings clarity to those situations and encourages action that aligns with purpose. His coaching style is practical, thoughtful, and focused on long-lasting results.

What stays with people is not just the strategies he shares, but the mindset he helps them develop. His contribution often continues through the decisions his clients make, the teams they build, and the values they carry forward. That ongoing influence is what defines his approach to leadership and the legacy he continues to build.