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Become the leader others want to follow

An extraordinary story of teamwork and leadership

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“Leadership has never been a title, a pay-grade, a rank or a position.
It is the example you set for the people you serve.”
— Keni Thomas
Keni Thomas speaking at the Army Aviation Museum

Who are you serving and what example are you setting?

Here’s what your people walk away with

An uncommon understanding of what it means to lead the way

Two attendees smiling with their signed copies of Keni's book

Inspire Your Audience

Leadership is a choice we make on a daily basis. Who do you want to BE in those moments? It will always dictate what you do.

Set Your Keynote Up for Success:(5 Tips from Keni) Get Keni’s Tips
Keni Thomas on stage, arms raised, in front of a cheering school auditorium

Captivate Your Conference

Make your event unforgettable as Keni guides you through the battle of “Black Hawk Down” and an incredible story of teamwork and leadership.

Keni Thomas speaking to a college football team on the practice field

Motivate Your Team

There are people to your left and right counting on you. And it’s up to you to deliver, not for individual gain, but for the greater good of the team.

What People Are Saying

“Keni is the best speaker we’ve EVER had at our conference and we’ve been doing this for 25 years. His message hits home with exactly what we are about: safety, training and leadership.”
— VPPA Board of Directors

Keni Thomas is trusted by

Keni Thomas telling the story on stage

What Makes Keni’s Story So Impactful

Keni's Ranger squad in front of Super 66 Mogadishu, Somalia · 1993

Watch Keni

A keynote your people will never forget

  • Keni Thomas with the Spectrum team on stage
  • Keni Thomas with a group of Farm Bureau young farmers and ranchers
  • Keni Thomas signing Get It On! for attendees after a keynote
Get It On! What It Means to Lead the Way, by Keni Thomas

Get It On! What It Means
to Lead the Way

Decorated U.S. military veteran-turned-country musician Keni Thomas gives a personal account of his heart-wrenching experiences in the chaotic 1993 Battle of Mogadishu to express a unique set of leadership lessons and inspired view of our greater purpose.

$25.50 · Free Shipping

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Keni Thomas playing guitar to close a keynote

Music has a different way
of reaching people

Keni closes his speech with one of these two songs.

Not Me Hold the Line

Hear more of Keni’s music

Breakout Sessions

Beyond the Keynote

A breakout of your choice is included with the keynote!

  • Communication Puzzle

    Just because you said it, doesn’t mean they heard it.

  • The Power of the After Action Review

    Dismantle silos and eliminate miscommunication forever through the art of self-evaluation.

  • How to Rob a Bank and Get Away With It

    Learn to execute successfully in a worst-case scenario with best-case troop leading procedures.

Breakout Session

Communication Puzzle

How elite teams avoid miscommunication and create shared understanding in real time. A hands-on team exercise built around an anagram puzzle delivers a powerful “ah-ha” moment.

“Just because you said it, doesn’t mean they heard it.” Keni Thomas

The biggest threat to effective communication is the false assumption being heard equals being understood. From the battlefield to the boardroom, clarity under pressure is one of the most vital and most under-developed skills a leader can master. Drawing on special operations communication, including the Ranger Communication Process, this session shows effective communication comes down to shared understanding, intent, and action.

Key Takeaways

  • Understand when communication is actually effective, not just delivered
  • Learn the core communication process used by elite military teams
  • Experience the real-time breakdown between message and meaning
  • Leave with actionable tools to increase clarity, reduce silos, and build alignment

Highly recommended: add the My Communication online curriculum so the training lasts beyond the room and becomes part of your culture.

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Breakout Session

The Power of the After Action Review

Debrief to win. Learn how to lead After Action Reviews to build trust, accountability, and continuous improvement. Your leaders gain a powerful feedback tool to shift culture and empower high performance.

“Lessons learned are just lessons talked about if nothing changes.” Keni Thomas

Key Takeaways

  • The four must-have components of an effective AAR
  • How to use Sustain and Improve to keep emotions in check
  • Transform meetings into high-trust, high-output feedback loops
  • Real examples from military and business leadership teams
Choose This Breakout

Breakout Session · Planning & Troop Leading Procedures

How to Rob a Bank and Get Away With It

Turn any team into a planning machine, even for a bank robbery. This fun, high-stakes scenario shows how Rangers plan complex missions using Troop Leading Procedures and frameworks like METT-TC, OCOKA, and PACE.

“Don’t forget nothin’!” Rogers’ Rangers Standing Orders

Key Takeaways

  • Master the 8-step Troop Leading Procedures for team planning
  • Use METT-TC, OCOKA, and PACE to adapt under pressure
  • Practice leading under time constraints and uncertainty
Choose This Breakout

Become the leader others want to follow

Most organizations struggle to find a leadership development program that truly prepares people to lead their peers. And leading your peers is hard. Without the right training, most programs will fail to change behavior.

The Downrange Leadership Academy was designed for this very reason. Bring Keni and his team to your next leadership offsite and let them structure a tough, realistic day of training to create the kind of leaders others want to follow.

My Mission. My People. Myself.

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Booking

Booking Inquiries

A Keni Thomas keynote is booked at $12,500–$15,000. To find out availability and exact pricing for your event, please reach out to Shawn Hanks at Premiere Speakers Bureau. Shawn is extremely helpful, sorta funny and a pretty good guy!

Shawn Hanks

(615) 261-4000 shawn@premierespeakers.com

Booking Inquiry

premierespeakers.com/keni_thomas

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