John Foley

Biography

John`s personal path to High Performance began as a child, when he stood alongside his father at an air show featuring the Blue Angels. From that moment, John knew deep in his heart that someday he`d be carving up the skies as a member of the Blues. Eventually, he lived that dream, but getting there wasn`t easy. In fact, John`s journey from an awe-struck child at an air show to the cockpit of the Blue Angels` F/A-18 Hornet is a study in persistence, hard work and the will to overcome obstacles and setbacks.

Those ideals fit within three overriding traits that mark John`s presentations: First, a contagious attitude of thankfulness that he calls Glad To Be Here. Second, an energizing delivery that inspires High Performance and service to others. And, third, a practical model for living out his message that works in other organizations as well as it works for the Blue Angels.

The model and the message are byproducts of John`s ongoing pursuit of continuous improvement. As a Blue Angel, John was part of a team that consistently performed in intense, high-stakes environments. With thousands of hours as a carrier pilot and hundreds of hours as an instructor pilot, John was an elite aviator when he joined the Blues. But to perform with this team - flying at speeds of more than 500 miles per hour and in formations as close as 18 inches from his teammates - John had to improve his performance by 300 percent!

John`s post-Navy experiences as a Sloan Fellow at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and as an entrepreneur put him in a unique position to reverse-engineer the culture of team excellence found in the Blue Angels and create a model that helps others on their journeys toward High Performance.

"What I learned most from being with the Blue Angels had nothing to do with flying itself," John says. "I learned that the process of engaging at this high level, when my very life depended on successful communication, accurate information, trust and follow-through, is the same process leaders and successful individuals use to achieve excellence."

John graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a degree in mechanical engineering. He also was a defensive back for the Midshipmen, playing in two bowl games and helping Navy to one of the best four-year records in its football history. As a pilot, John was a "Top Ten Carrier Pilot" six times before becoming a Marine instructor pilot and a Blue Angel. He holds master`s degrees in business management, from the Stanford Graduate School of Business (as a Sloan Fellow); in international policy studies, from Stanford University; and in strategic studies, from the Naval War College. He makes his home in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Titles

The High Performance Climb
John shares his first-hand experience in a culture that pushes High Performance to the extremes, flying at times as close as 36 inches apart at speeds of more than 400 knots - upside down! See how John helps audience members understand their High Performance gaps and begin a High Performance Climb to close them.

Team Oneness
It takes more than six highly skilled pilots to make the Blue Angels the best flight demonstration squadron in the world. In fact, the Blue Angels are a team of more than 120 members operating with a commitment to High Performance. That team oneness isn`t dictated; it`s developed. Learn how the Blues create a team atmosphere of trust and respect that empowers its members. Learn how you can create an environment that has team members eagerly opting into this type of Blue Angel team oneness.

Belief Levels -- Soaring to New Heights
As human beings, we don`t perform at our full potential. We perform at a Belief Level. Understanding our Belief Levels is a key to turning any vision into a new reality. Listen as John describes how he elevated his Belief Levels so that he could join the top 1/10th of 1/10th of 1 percent of all pilots -- the Blue Angels.

Trust -- Executing with Precision
The "Knife Edge pass" is a highly precise maneuver originally developed by John Foley and one of his teammates when they were Blue Angels. It involves the two solo pilots flying directly at each other and crossing a CenterPoint at the same time and at the same altitude -- without hitting each other. Listen as John describes how Contracts -- verbal and nonverbal -- played a vital role in creating the type of trust essential to executing that maneuver and why that type of trust is key to operational excellence in every organization.