Mission-Driven Leadership with a Former NASA Astronaut

The Big Think+ Book Club is excited to welcome Ron Garan, former NASA astronaut, inspirational keynote speaker, and author of The Orbital Perspective, Floating in Darkness and the children’s book, Railroad to the Moon. Ron has spent 178 days in space and more than 71 million miles in 2,842 orbits between tours on the US Space Shuttle, Russian Soyuz spacecraft, and the International Space Station. Before reaching the summit of his career, Garan, a former test pilot and graduate of the US Naval Test Pilot School, taught hundreds of elite fighter pilots as a flight instructor at the prestigious USAF Fighter Weapons School, the Air Force version of TOPGUN. Today, Ron is a successful serial entrepreneur, corporate executive and keynote speaker. He shares lessons from space, combat, and the boardroom to inspire organizations to ignite a sense of purpose to unlock potential, navigate change, and create opportunity.

During the live conversation, Ron will discuss:

• How taking an “orbital perspective” can illuminate the path toward true servant leadership
• How taking a holistic systems approach can lead to effective problem solving
• How to successfully engage with disruptive change and uncertainty
• How to foster unity in business strategy and cohesive growth
• How to leverage the power of awe and wonder for action and progress

Author bio

Former NASA astronaut, serial entrepreneur, humanitarian, and highly decorated combat fighter Ron Garan racked up 178 days in space and more than 71 million miles in 2,842 orbits between tours on the US Space Shuttle, Russian Soyuz spacecraft, and the International Space Station. During his time in space, Garan conducted four spacewalks in support of ISS construction and maintenance. Prior to those space journeys, he lived and conducted research on the bottom of the ocean in the world’s only undersea research lab, Aquarius.

Before reaching the summit of his career, Garan, a former test pilot and graduate of the US Naval Test Pilot School, taught hundreds of elite fighter pilots how to “up their game” as a flight instructor at the prestigious USAF Fighter Weapons School, the Air Force version of TOP GUN. He is the author of the critically acclaimed books: The Orbital Perspective, Floating in Darkness: A Journey of Evolution, and the children’s book, Railroad to the Moon. Garan is celebrated not just for his research in space but also for his humanitarian contribution to life on Earth.