About Thomas A. Kolditz
Tom Kolditz was the founding Director of the Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University, that has professionally coached more than 7000 graduate and undergraduate students. Tom was also the Director of the Leadership Development Program at the Yale School of Management, and for 12 years chaired the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at West Point. A retired Brigadier General, he was globally ranked #6 in Coaching by Global Gurus, an independent research and professional ranking organization, most recently #12 in Start-up Coaching in 2023 and #13 in 2024.
He was selected by Thinkers50 in the UK as the #1 University Coach in the world in 2019, and in 2025, Thinkers50 named him a “Coaching Legend.” Dr. Kolditz has published 3 books and 75 chapters, and journal articles. An
accomplished leader of 17 organizations, Tom has spoken to more than 375 audiences worldwide.
Interview By
Vaishali Jain
Vaishali has been working in the media industry & Journalism for more than 14 years. She had her own CEO talk show on Bloomberg TV India called Biz Lounge, a show that she anchored and produced. Biz Lounge explored the business aspects of each company, as well as the company's leadership, corporate culture, as well as each leader's personal side including how he/she spent their free time.
Prior to that, she worked as a Management Consultant in the finance industry in New York City. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Management with a concentration in Finance and her Master’s degree in Organizational Psychology.
