Dede Halfhill

Master The Unseen™: The Hidden Competitive Advantage
You’ve seen it before—a strategy that makes sense, a team that agrees, an initiative that should work. But then something gets in the way. Momentum stalls, resistance builds, and what looked like a sure thing quietly unravels.

Leaders focus on execution and data because they’re measurable—but the biggest risks (and opportunities) are in what’s harder to see. Leaders and teams mistake compliance for commitment, busyness for resilience, and silence for alignment—until the cracks start to show.

Success isn’t just about strategy—it’s about recognizing the real human dynamics shaping whether people buy in or check out.

Retired Colonel DeDe Halfhill has spent 25 years leading through complexity—from commanding in combat zones to advising the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. She’s seen what happens when leaders overlook the real forces shaping trust, culture, and performance—and the advantage they gain when they don’t.

In this keynote, DeDe challenges leaders to go beyond what’s visible and Master the Unseen forces truly shaping their success.

The audience will leave with:
✓ The ability to recognize and address the hidden dynamics shaping trust, engagement, and performance
✓ Practical tools to surface unspoken tensions and address them before they become roadblocks
✓ A new leadership lens—one that moves beyond strategy to harness the emotional undercurrent driving success

This program is perfect for:
✓ Senior leaders navigating high-stakes, high-pressure environments
✓ Organizations seeking to improve adaptability, communication, and trust
✓ Teams that want to move past surface-level leadership to create lasting impact


Everyday Courage™: Transforming Small Actions into Big Impact
Most people think courage is about high-stakes moments—crisis leadership, major decisions, or bold public stands.

But the most overlooked form of courage is in the everyday moments that define truly define leadership.

The conversations leaders have (or avoid). The feedback they give (or withhold). The decisions they make now (or push off for later). These moments determine whether teams thrive and trust grows -- or whether hesitation and avoidance quietly take over.

With 25 years of experience leading in high-pressure environments where every decision carried weight, retired Colonel DeDe Halfhill has seen how avoiding these small moments limits leadership impact. But leaders who engage with them create stronger teams, deeper trust, and momentum that lasts -- even in uncertainty.

In this keynote, she challenges leaders to rethink courage, not as something reserved for extraordinary situations, but as a daily habit that shapes leadership, trust, and culture.

The audience will leave with:
✓ A new perspective on courage and its everyday attainability
✓ The confidence to tackle challenging moments head-on
✓ Actionable strategies to turn hesitation into momentum

This program is perfect for:
✓ Leaders, teams, and individuals who want to strengthen their potential and influence through authenticity and courage
✓ Organizations driven to inspire engagement, spark innovation, and build resilience by empowering their people to embrace courage, one step at a time

Connection is the Competitive Edge: The Advantage No One Talks About—But Everyone Feels

You know what it feels like when a team just clicks—trust is high, collaboration flows, and people step up for each other. You also know what it feels like when they don’t—when silos form, communication breaks down, and progress slows.

Too many leaders focus on strategy and execution, assuming connection will happen on its own. But research proves otherwise. The strongest teams don’t just work together—they trust each other. And that trust is what makes them adaptable, innovative, and resilient under pressure.

In this keynote, retired Colonel DeDe Halfhill draws from more than 25 years of being on high performing teams, to include the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, to show why connection isn’t just a leadership skill—it’s a strategy. The leaders who prioritize relationships don’t just create strong teams; they build teams that outperform, outlast, and out deliver.

The audience will leave with:
✓ Practical ways to build trust and create stronger, more connected teams
✓ Actionable insights into how trust fuels collaboration, innovation, and resilience
✓ Proven strategies to strengthen commitment and unlock team potential

This program is perfect for:
✓ Leaders, managers, and teams who want to work better together and build lasting trust
✓ Organizations looking to create cultures where collaboration and connection drive results

Trust Begins with a Conversation: Why Great Teams Talk About What Others Avoid

Misalignment doesn’t happen overnight—it builds in the silence between tough conversations.
When people hesitate to speak up, ask hard questions, or address friction, trust erodes, performance stalls, and minor issues become major problems.
In this keynote, DeDe Halfhill challenges teams and organizations to rethink how they communicate—not just in moments of ease but in the moments that matter most.
As a retired Colonel and former communications advisor to the Department of Defense’s top leaders, DeDe has seen how the right conversations—at the right time—can build trust, drive action, and prevent costly mistakes.

Trust isn’t built in theory—it’s built in the conversations you’re willing to have.

The audience will leave with:
✓ A shift in perspective on why avoiding hard conversations is the most significant risk to success
✓ The confidence to engage in open, direct communication—even when it feels uncomfortable
✓ Practical insights on building trust through everyday conversations—not just significant leadership moments

This keynote talk is perfect for:
✓ Leaders, managers, and teams who want to improve how they communicate to increase their influence and effectiveness
✓ Organizations looking to build more collaborative and engaged teams
✓ Executives seeking to drive cross-organizational alignment

Leading Unapologetically: Own Your Influence. Lead Without Limits.

Women don’t need more confidence. They need the space to lead on their terms.

Women have been told to speak up, be more assertive, and lean in for too long. The real challenge isn’t confidence—it’s the unspoken pressure to lead in a way that fits expectations instead of breaking them.

In this keynote, DeDe Halfhill shares what she learned leading in one of the world’s most male-dominated environments—the U.S. military. Rising to senior leadership, advising the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and commanding thousands of people taught her one undeniable truth: Leadership isn’t about fitting a mold—it’s about shattering it.

Women don’t need permission. They need to take up space, own their influence, and lead without explanation.

The audience will leave with:
✓ A powerful mindset shift from proving themselves to owning their leadership
✓ Stories and strategies that inspire bold action, not just reflection
✓ The permission to stop asking for permission

This program is perfect for:
✓ Emerging women leaders who are ready to own their influence
✓ Experienced leaders are ready to challenge outdated leadership norms
✓ Anyone committed to leading with complete confidence in their impact

 
Workshop Summaries:

Note: The first three workshops are best done in a series. The Undercurrent Effect™ helps leaders identify what’s driving their teams and organizations. Everyday Courage™ gives them the strength to act. The Lasting Shift™ ensures that impact sticks, turning courageous leadership into a sustained practice.

The Undercurrent Effect™: Mastering the Unseen Dynamics That Drive Performance
Most leaders focus on what’s visible, but the real obstacles—and opportunities—are happening beneath the surface.

The Undercurrent Effect™ equips teams to recognize the unspoken tensions, emotional undercurrents, and overlooked dynamics influencing culture, collaboration, and results. When leaders only react to surface-level issues, they end up managing symptoms instead of solving the root causes of misalignment, disengagement, and stalled performance. This workshop gives them the tools to see what’s really driving success—and what’s quietly holding them back.

Best for: This workshop is ideal for professionals at all levels who want to strengthen trust, cohesion, and collaboration by uncovering and addressing the hidden forces shaping their organization’s success.

Participants will increase their ability to:
✓ Identify and address unseen factors affecting team performance
✓ Enhance collaboration by surfacing and resolving unspoken tensions
✓ Strengthen team cohesion through a deeper understanding of underlying dynamics

After the workshop, attendees will be equipped to:
✓ Recognize and navigate unseen challenges before they create roadblocks
✓ Foster open communication to surface and resolve hidden conflicts
✓ Build a more aligned, high-trust team environment

This is the foundation; once people recognize unseen forces, they can take more effective action in the next workshop, Everyday Courage™.

Everyday Courage™: Acting with Clarity When It Counts

Leadership doesn’t happen in ideal conditions—it happens in the messy, uncertain moments where action matters most.
From tough conversations to high-stakes decisions, Everyday Courage™ equips participants with the mindset and skills to address challenges head-on. This workshop encourages individuals to stop waiting for “the right moment” and instead build the habit of acting with clarity, confidence, and conviction—especially when it’s uncomfortable.

Success isn’t about always having the perfect answer, it’s about moving forward even when you don’t.

Best for: This workshop is ideal for professionals at all levels who want to build the habit of stepping into hard moments with confidence, addressing challenges directly instead of hesitating or holding back.

Participants will increase their ability to:
✓ Take action in moments of uncertainty instead of waiting for the “right time”
✓ Speak up and engage in difficult conversations with clarity and conviction
✓ Turn hesitation into action and break the cycle of avoidance that keeps teams stuck

After the workshop, attendees will be equipped to:
✓ Approach challenges with a mindset that turns hesitation into action
✓ Build a culture where people don’t wait for permission to address what needs to be said and done
✓ Apply practical strategies to lead with courage in everyday situations

Note: After uncovering unseen challenges in The Undercurrent Effect™, this workshop gives participants the courage to act on them.

 
The Lasting Shift™: Make Courage the Standard, Not the Exception

Courage isn’t a one-time act—it’s a culture you build.

Many people have breakthrough moments of courage, but real impact happens when bold action, trust, and accountability become part of how teams operate every day. The Lasting Shift™ ensures organizations don’t just recognize unseen dynamics and act on them—they build environments where courageous leadership thrives. This workshop helps participants reinforce these behaviors so courage becomes a daily practice, not just a reaction to big moments.

Best for: This workshop is ideal for professionals at all levels who want to move beyond one-time acts of courage and build habits that create deep trust, accountability, and bold action in their teams and organizations.

Participants will increase their ability to:
✓ Reinforce courage as an everyday practice instead of a one-time effort
✓ Strengthen trust and accountability by modeling consistency in their actions
✓ Build an environment where people feel empowered to take initiative and speak up

After the workshop, attendees will be equipped to:
✓ Create structures and habits that make courageous action the norm
✓ Foster a culture where trust and accountability drive long-term success
✓ Lead by example, making courage a natural part of how teams operate
Note: After recognizing hidden dynamics (The Undercurrent Effect™) and acting with courage (Everyday Courage™), this final workshop ensures those shifts stick for the long term and make courage something teams lean on daily, not just in crisis.

 
The Unseen Edge™: Communication That Cuts Through the Noise

What you say matters less than what others hear—master the undercurrents shaping how your message lands.

Communication isn’t just about delivering a message; it’s about shaping perception, influencing action, and ensuring what’s said aligns with what’s felt.

The Unseen Edge™ equips participants to recognize the emotional undercurrents influencing how their words land.

This workshop helps people cut through the noise, defuse tension, and communicate with clarity, conviction, and resonance—especially in high-stakes moments.

Best for: This workshop is ideal for professionals who want to go beyond just sharing information and communicating in a way that inspires action, strengthens relationships, and ensures their message is heard.

Participants will increase their ability to:
✓ Recognize and navigate the emotional undercurrents that shape how messages are received
✓ Approach tough conversations with confidence, avoiding misalignment and misunderstanding
✓ Communicate in a way that builds trust, strengthens relationships, and resonates with others

After the workshop, attendees will be equipped to:
✓ Deliver messages that create lasting resonance and meaningful engagement
✓ Handle difficult conversations with clarity, composure, and conviction
✓ Communicate in a way that strengthens trust and alignment across teams

Note: To create a full-day program, this pairs powerfully with The Undercurrent Effect™ by equipping participants to engage in conversations they may have once avoided. This ensures that their communication builds trust, strengthens alignment, and deepens team connections.

Leading Unapologetically: Own Your Influence. Lead Without Limits.

Women don’t need permission—they need the space to lead on their terms.

This workshop is about taking it. Too often, women are advised to “speak up” or “be more assertive,” but real success isn’t about fitting a mold—it’s about redefining it.

Leading Unapologetically helps participants reach their full potential by challenging outdated expectations, addressing self-imposed limitations, and showing up with boldness.

This workshop sparks honest conversations about women’s unspoken pressures—the energy spent proving themselves, the influence they don’t always claim, and the choices that shape their impact.

It equips them with the tools to communicate confidently, lead with conviction, and own the space they’ve earned.

Participants will increase their ability to:
✓ Challenge expectations and navigate resistance with confidence
✓ Step into greater visibility and advocate for their ideas and contributions
✓ Lead with authenticity and authority instead of adapting to outdated norms

After the workshop, attendees will be equipped to:
✓ Make bold, decisive choices that align with their values and leadership style
✓ Push past hesitation and self-doubt to act in moments that matter
✓ Create space for themselves and others to lead unapologetically

Best for: This workshop is ideal for women at all levels who are ready to step fully into their influence, stop second-guessing their impact, and lead confidently on their terms.

To create a full day program, this pairs perfectly with Everyday Courage™ for women who want to strengthen their presence and influence, even in environments that resist it.