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Dr. Tony Kern, Lt Col, USAF (Ret) is the Founder, President, and CEO of Tony Kern Innovations Inc., a veteran-owned small business dedicated to improving human performance in public and private sector organizations. Tony is one of the world’s leading authorities on human performance in time constrained, error intolerant environments and has received multiple awards for his work, including the USAF McDermott Award for Original Research, the Aviation Week & Space Technology Laurels Award for Outstanding Leadership in Government and Military, the University Aviation Association’s John K. Lauber Safety Award, and the Flight Safety Foundation-Airbus Human Factors in Aviation Safety Award. While Tony is grateful to have won these and other awards, it’s a completely different honor to have an award named after you. In 2015, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) announced the creation of the Dr. Tony Kern Professionalism in Aviation Award to honor his contributions to professionalism around the globe; and, to date, there have been over 90 award recipients.
Tony is the author of nine books on human performance, including the award-winning “Plane of Excellence” trilogy (Redefining Airmanship, Flight Discipline, and Darker Shades of Blue). In the past decade, Dr. Kern has broadened his approach into mental health wellness concerns. In his latest “Empowered Accountability” series (Blue Threat: Why to Err is Inhuman, Going Pro: The Deliberate Practice of Professionalism, and The Ghost of Nathan Hale) he creates a 21st century guide to psychological strength building for individuals and organizations “while remaining true to themselves and growing where they are, with the resources at hand.” A prolific writer, Tony is also a featured columnist and Contributing Editor for Skies and Vertical Valor magazines. In addition, his expert opinion has been sought for interviews on the Fox Business Network, Bloomberg TV, the Discovery Channel, National Public Radio, NBC Nightly News, and 48 Hours with Dan Rather, among others. Despite his numerous advanced degrees, Tony does not consider himself an “academic.” He has deep operational roots in the U.S. Air Force as a Command Pilot and Flight Examiner in the B-1B bomber, as well as diverse senior staff and leadership experience, including service as the Chairman of the U.S. Air Force Human Factors Steering Group, and Director and Professor of Military History at the USAF Academy.
Upon retirement from the Air Force in 2000, Dr. Kern served as the National Aviation Director for the U.S. Forest Service, where he directed the largest non-military government aviation program in the world in support of federal wildland fire suppression. Tony is a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute and the U.S. Federal Government Senior Executive Service Development Program. Tony holds Master’s Degrees in Public Administration and Military History, as well as a Doctorate in Higher Education specializing in Organizational Culture and Human Factors training design. Tony enjoys hunting, fishing, sports of all kinds, and writing. He and his wife of 38 years currently live with their animals—surprising in both their number and variety—on a Texas ranch called the Emerald Star, west of San Antonio.
About Tony Kern
CONSULTATION OPTIONS
The HumanEdge™ Program
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Core Compass Leadership™ Program
Leadership takes a toll on those who choose it, or those who have it thrust upon them. This unique program seamlessly blends career-stage appropriate leadership training with mental strength, ethics, and full spectrum professionalism to provide a foundation for leaders to thrive amidst the challenges of modern work and life in the 21st century.
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Professional Edge Limitless Professionalism™
Many "professional development" programs exist, but only Limitless Professionalism™ focuses on true professionalism. In a world too comfortable with mediocrity, it builds action-oriented professionals who deliver results and strengthen the culture around them. Based on Tony Kern’s Going Pro, this bold, hands-on program sharpens skills, integrity, and resolve to tackle today’s toughest challenges.
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The Knight’s Edge™
America's mental health crisis is worsening, with rising rates of suicide, substance abuse, and anxiety, contributing to higher employee disengagement. The Knight’s Edge program, based on Dr. Tony Kern's Armored Knight, helps individuals build mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual resilience before a crisis hits, enabling them to thrive in stressful environments.
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TESTIMONIALS
“The most comprehensive book (Going Pro) on professionalism that I've ever had the pleasure to read…a huge amount of meaningful insight on what it actually means to be a professional…setting standards and making a difference…replete with examples and provides a foundation from which to build a plan to achieve true professionalism.”
CHARLES H.
“I've read Kern extensively and used his ideas in my own behavior in the cockpit and in teaching students that the biggest reward and the biggest challenge lies in their improving their value system with the task at hand.”
WILLIAM R.
“He (Tony) challenges us to move towards the DELIBERATE (it is a choice) goal of professionalism. Contrasts made between excellence (attainable) and perfection (not yet). Highly recommend this challenge to be your best!”
DEPUTY D.
