Shannon Huffman Polson
Pilot. Speaker.Writer. Artist.
One practice of paying attention.
Hi there, and thanks for visiting
Grit when it counts. Deep purpose as foundation.
I flew Apache helicopters before I led teams at Microsoft, and I wrote The Grit Factor before I understood what was underneath it: a stream older than any of us. My work runs on both. The grit a hard season asks for, and the practices that keep a leader steady after it.
I speak to companies, conferences and faith communities; I write books, essays and poems; and I paint. All of it is one practice of paying attention.
Award winning from Harvard Business Review
The Grit Factor
Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World
With its gripping narrative and relatable takeaways, The Grit Factor is both inspiring and pragmatic, a book that will energize and enlighten current and aspiring leaders everywhere—whether male or female.
“The book will leave anybody nothing short of inspired by the heroics of Huffman Polson and her fellow military women. But the point is that everyone has the capacity to learn to face the impossible.”Financial Times business books
The next book
The Forgotten Ways
Returning to ancient wisdom in a modern world
Five practices with a long record, from the desert fathers and Benedict’s Rule to the Celtic soul friend and a Roman emperor writing to himself by lamplight. Each one is small enough to start this week.
- Begin with NorthOrient the day to purpose, not tasks.
- Stay in the CellStillness as the ground of wise action.
- Work with Your HandsThe Benedictine rhythm that grounds the whole person.
- Find Your CouncilThe soul friend every leader needs.
- Release the OutcomeFull effort. Open hands.
Keynotes
Exceptional keynotes for exceptional results
Stories from the cockpit and the boardroom. Shannon brings lessons learned and tactical takeaways from leading teams through challenge and change, and from years of research into leadership, grit and purpose.
“By far the highlight of our meeting. Everyone loved her. 100% NPS for Shannon’s training—world class!”
“Shannon was amazing! She did a great job summarizing the day and leaving our company energized to face the wind and fly through it! We couldn’t be happier.”
“A huge hit and very inspiring! As I type this, I am overhearing the clients talk about her and how they are planning to continue to pull her message through the rest of the meetings.”
“Shannon was AMAZING!!!!! Our team absolutely loved her and her message. Her story was spot on with our mission and our goals for the meeting. She was outstanding!”
“I loved everything about the presentation. Shannon has so much energy in her talk, and is a fantastic storyteller. I think everyone walked away feeling inspired and energized.”
Top rated by the world’s best organizations
Newsletter
Facing the Wind
Shannon’s newsletter on Substack. New essays appear here as soon as they are published.
Read the latest essays at facingthewind.substack.com.
Next steps
