Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (retired); former Pentagon Press Secretary, State Department Spokesman, and White House National Security Communications Advisor
Retired Navy Rear Admiral John Kirby, the only person ever to brief reporters at the Pentagon, State Department, and White House, leverages his storied career shaping America's most complex security challenges to empower audiences with the strategic insight needed to think critically, manage risk, and act decisively. Through his powerful blend of authentic leadership lessons, strategic storytelling, and practical frameworks for navigating uncertainty, Kirby helps organizations build trust, communicate effectively, and emerge stronger in a rapidly changing marketplace.
John Kirby is a retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral whose remarkable career spans the most demanding arenas — from service aboard warships at sea to the highest levels of government. Recognized for his calm demeanor and unwavering credibility, Kirby has been a trusted advisor to Presidents, Secretaries of Defense and State, and top military leaders. As the first uniformed officer to serve as Pentagon Press Secretary — and the only person ever to brief reporters at the Pentagon, State Department, and White House — he has shaped national security narratives and guided high-stakes decision-making under intense public scrutiny.
Drawing on these extraordinary experiences, Kirby offers corporate audiences a dynamic blueprint for leadership, team-building, and strategic storytelling. Whether sharing lessons from his deployments abroad or his time at the podium, Kirby reveals how authenticity and humility foster trust, how a well-crafted narrative can drive meaningful change, and how resilience, preparation, and clear communication can transform crisis into opportunity. His approachable style and candid insights help organizations and their teams navigate complex challenges, manage reputational risk, and emerge stronger in a rapidly evolving marketplace. By connecting Kirby’s deep well of expertise to the realities of corporate life, audiences leave with actionable strategies to steer through uncertainty, manage crises with confidence, and lead with purpose.
John Kirby on How Leaders Can Make Better Decisions with a Diverse Team
John Kirby on Strategic Storytelling in the Digital Age
John Kirby on Storytelling as a CNN Analyst
John Kirby on Advancing Leadership Strategies Through Open Communication
John Kirby on Lessons Learned from Crafting Communications in Global Crises
John Kirby on How Listening Makes You a More Authentic Communicator
What the Russia-Ukraine Conflict Reveals About Putin’s Leadership Struggles
John Kirby on How to Combat Disinformation
John Kirby’s Speech Topics
Strategic Storytelling
No business or large organization can truly succeed without a good story about itself, its values, and its people. Telling that story effectively — with purpose, meaning, and even humor — invites understanding and support from audiences far better than facts or spreadsheets can ever do. Who we are is often who we say we are, the stories we tell about ourselves. Through engaging stories of his own, ripped from today’s headlines, Admiral John Kirby will teach you how to inculcate strategic storytelling into your decision-making and policy-making processes.
Crisis Communication
In today’s fast-paced media environment, dominated by social media, how you communicate about a crisis is one of the most important aspects of leading through it. Effective crisis communication begins in the calm before the storm, in developing healthy relationships with reporters, organizing your team to prepare and to act as one, and in putting communication at the very front of your leadership efforts. Admiral John Kirby became the face — and the voice — of numerous high-profile crises, from the Navy Yard shooting of 2013 to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and dozens more. Learn from Admiral Kirby how to prepare for crises and lead — both in action and communication — when they arise.
Risk Management
The most important decisions any leader makes come with risk: risk to people, risk to resources, risk to the bottom line, and risk to an organization’s reputation. Admiral John Kirby advised leaders at the highest levels of government through some of the most fraught and globally significant crises in recent history, helping them navigate risk at every level. The Ebola and COVID outbreaks, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, tensions on the Korean peninsula, counter-terror operations, and Russian aggression in Ukraine, to name a few. He’ll explain what works, what doesn’t, and what leadership and risk management have in common.
