Mike Oster

Leadership & High Performance Expert, Retired U.S. Army Brigadier General, Successful Entrepreneur, and Best Selling Author

Mike Oster is a retired United States Army Brigadier General, successful entrepreneur, bestselling author, and nationally recognized leadership and motivational speaker who helps individuals and organizations close the gap between potential and performance. With more than 36 years of military leadership experience, including combat deployments, and decades of building successful businesses and developing high-performing teams, Mike brings powerful real-world lessons to audiences across the country. As the author of It Starts With Attitude and founder of Oster Consulting, Mike challenges people to elevate their mindset, embrace change, strengthen relationships, and take ownership of the attitudes, choices, and actions that drive success. Through engaging storytelling, practical strategies, and his signature philosophy, Make Excellence Your Average, Mike inspires audiences to raise their standards, lead with greater purpose, and turn everyday actions into extraordinary results. His guiding belief is simple: “When we become better at who we are, we become better in all we do.”

  • Mike Oster Keynote Speaker Fee Fee range is for U.S. events, depending on location and organization type

    $10,001 - $20,000

  • Languages Spoken

    English

  • Travels From

    South Dakota, USA

  • Mike Oster Keynote Speaker Fee Fee range is for U.S. events, depending on location and organization type

    $10,001 - $20,000

  • Languages Spoken

    English

  • Travels From

    South Dakota, USA

Suggested Keynote Speaker Programs

Make Excellence Your Average – It Starts With Attitude

Imagine a team where achieving goals feels effortless, where excellence is the norm, not the exception. In this powerful keynote, we’ll explore how to cultivate a mindset that turns excellence into the default setting in everything we do. This presentation is designed...

Imagine a team where achieving goals feels effortless, where excellence is the norm, not the exception. In this powerful keynote, we’ll explore how to cultivate a mindset that turns excellence into the default setting in everything we do.

This presentation is designed to help you cultivate a mindset where excellence is the baseline, and achieving your goals is second nature. We understand that our attitude is one of the most powerful tools we have, and it’s entirely within our control. The key to living where excellence is our average is embedded in consistently choosing a positive attitude—especially when life presents us with challenges.

Acknowledging that our attitude is a personal choice and that we should choose to be positive all day, every day. The question becomes, how do we effectively prepare ourselves to consistently make that positive choice when life throws us those challenges. This presentation focuses on actionable steps and strategies that make choosing a positive attitude not just possible, but natural.

It’s time to stop reacting from a place of frustration and start creating solutions with confidence and clarity. By actively adopting the tools provided in this presentation, you’ll be empowered to shift your mindset from reactive to proactive, embracing positivity and focusing on solutions, start seeing issues as opportunities and embrace what life brings us. This transformation helps you bring your best self to every situation, creating a ripple effect of positivity within your team and beyond.

This session will show you how to shift your mindset, elevate your performance, and show up as your best self, every single day. By embracing personal growth as the cornerstone of excellence, you’ll unlock the ability to consistently perform at your highest potential—no matter the circumstances.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Power of Mindset: Learn how to shift from a reactive mindset to a proactive one, where challenges are seen as opportunities for growth rather than obstacles.
  • Turning Excellence into a Habit: Discover practical strategies to make excellence a daily practice—transforming it from an occasional achievement into a natural part of your workflow.
  • Overcoming Negative Thinking: Understand how to break free from negativity and train your mind to focus on solutions rather than problems.
  • Elevating Personal Growth: Realize that personal growth is the foundation of professional excellence and learn how to prioritize it in your daily routine.
  • Consistency in High Performance: Master the art of showing up as your best self every single day, regardless of external circumstances, and create a lasting impact on your team and organization.
  • Building Resilience and Adaptability: Gain tools to navigate challenges with confidence and adaptability, enabling you to bounce back stronger from setbacks.
  • The Link Between Attitude and Achievement: Explore how a positive attitude directly influences your ability to achieve goals and exceed expectations.
  • Practical Steps for Cultivating a Culture of Excellence: Walk away with actionable steps to not only improve your own performance but also inspire excellence within your team and organization.

If you’re ready to stop letting setbacks hold you back and start achieving the level of success you’ve always wanted, this keynote will give you the tools and inspiration to make excellence your new standard.

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Unstoppable Mindset: Harnessing Resilience and Perseverance for Success

In this high-energy, transformative keynote, you’ll discover how to build the resilience and unshakable mindset needed to not just survive challenges—but to thrive through them. Life’s obstacles are inevitable, but how you bounce back from them is entirely within your ...

In this high-energy, transformative keynote, you’ll discover how to build the resilience and unshakable mindset needed to not just survive challenges—but to thrive through them. Life’s obstacles are inevitable, but how you bounce back from them is entirely within your control. This session dives deep into discovering and embracing your purpose in everything you do, while teaching you to combine positive realism, flexible determination, and powerful self-awareness to fuel your journey forward.

You’ll leave with practical tools to awaken your “inner Tigger”—even when surrounded by negativity—and turn challenges into stepping stones toward success. Learn how to stay laser-focused on your goals, adapt to setbacks with unwavering perseverance, and unlock the mental toughness that will carry you through any storm. Get ready to transform adversity into triumph and emerge more resilient than ever!

Key Takeaways:

  • Unlock Your Inner Strength: Learn how to tap into your natural resilience and harness a mindset that helps you bounce back stronger, no matter what life throws at you.
  • Discover Your Deeper Purpose: Gain clarity on your “why” and how aligning with your purpose fuels perseverance, making it easier to stay committed—even during tough times.
  • Master Positive Realism: Learn the power of maintaining optimism while staying grounded in reality, so you can face challenges head-on without losing sight of your goals.
  • Build Mental Toughness: Discover proven strategies to develop unwavering determination and mental toughness that keep you moving forward, even when setbacks occur.
  • Turn Obstacles Into Opportunities: Shift your perspective to see every challenge as an opportunity for growth and success, propelling you toward even greater achievements.
  • Develop Unshakable Self-Awareness: Unlock the power of self-awareness and self-management to stay in control of your emotions and reactions, allowing you to stay calm, focused, and effective in any situation.
  • Thrive in Any Environment: Master the art of thriving even when surrounded by negativity, learning how to maintain your positivity and energy no matter the circumstances.
  • Transform Setbacks Into Triumphs: Gain actionable tools to turn every obstacle into a catalyst for success, leaving you better equipped to face the future with confidence and resilience.

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Elevate Your Leadership: Leading On Purpose With Passion

Leadership is not defined by a title, but by your influence, impact, and example. In this dynamic and transformative session, we’ll explore how to unlock your leadership potential, regardless of your role, and develop the qualities that make you a more effective, impactful...

Leadership is not defined by a title, but by your influence, impact, and example. In this dynamic and transformative session, we’ll explore how to unlock your leadership potential, regardless of your role, and develop the qualities that make you a more effective, impactful and respected leader.

This session dives deep into the fundamental elements that define exceptional leadership, not just at the top, but at every level within an organization. You’ll learn how to lead with purpose, empathy, and confidence—true leadership begins with the ability to serve, collaborate, and inspire, whether you’re in a formal leadership position or supporting your team from behind the scenes.

As we explore the most essential components of leadership, we’ll cover how to cultivate trust, communicate effectively, and create a culture of accountability and mutual respect. You’ll learn practical strategies to build stronger relationships, inspire greater loyalty, and influence those around you with integrity. Whether you’re managing a team or contributing as a valuable team member, this session will provide actionable tools to help you elevate your performance, enhance your ability to motivate others, and achieve results that truly matter.

By the end of this powerful talk, you’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of what makes great leadership and the confidence to take immediate action. You’ll be ready to step up, influence your team, and make a lasting impact—transforming the way you lead and collaborate with others every day.

Key Takeaways:

  • Develop Core Leadership Qualities: Learn the foundational qualities of effective leadership, such as trust, integrity, and emotional intelligence, and how to cultivate them within yourself.
  • Lead with Influence, Not Authority: Learn how to lead from any position by harnessing the power of influence, creating a lasting impact regardless of your title or role.
  • Building Trust and Credibility: Discover the key strategies to earn trust and build credibility with your team, allowing you to inspire loyalty and foster a positive, collaborative environment.
  • Master Effective Communication: Learn how to communicate with clarity and impact, ensuring that your message resonates with others and inspires action.
  • Foster a Culture of Accountability: Understand how to build a team environment where everyone takes ownership, holds themselves accountable, and contributes to the team’s success.
  • Encourage Collaboration and Empower Others: Learn how to create a collaborative team culture where diverse perspectives are valued and everyone feels empowered to contribute their best ideas.
  • Inspire and Influence, Not Just Manage: Discover how to move beyond traditional management techniques and truly inspire your team by leading with vision, passion, and purpose.
  • Enhance Your Decision-Making and Problem-Solving Skills: Gain tools for making better decisions and solving problems effectively, enabling you to lead your team through challenges with confidence and clarity.

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First You Give: Effective Communication and Relationship Building for High-Performance Teams

The purpose of this transformative seminar is to empower participants with the essential communication and relationship-building skills needed to foster stronger, more collaborative, and high-performing teams. This program goes beyond basic communication principles to ...

The purpose of this transformative seminar is to empower participants with the essential communication and relationship-building skills needed to foster stronger, more collaborative, and high-performing teams. This program goes beyond basic communication principles to provide actionable tools and strategies that enable participants to connect more effectively with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders, resulting in improved team dynamics, enhanced leadership capabilities, and more successful outcomes.

In today’s fast-paced and diverse workplace, the ability to communicate clearly, empathetically, and persuasively is crucial for success. This seminar equips participants with the skills to adapt their communication styles to a variety of audiences, simplify complex ideas, and personalize interactions in a way that resonates with individuals on a deeper level. By focusing on both the art of effective communication and the science of relationship-building, participants will be able to foster trust, enhance collaboration, and create a more inclusive and productive environment.

Key Takeaways Include:

  • Enhanced Communication Techniques: Learn how to tailor your communication style to connect with diverse individuals, whether in team settings, client interactions, or leadership discussions.
  • Build More Productivity and Harmony in the Work Environment: By improving communication and fostering stronger relationships, participants will learn to create a more productive and harmonious work environment, where team members work together seamlessly and support one another in achieving common goals.
  • Simplification of Complex Ideas: Gain the ability to distill complex concepts into clear, actionable messages that are easily understood and well-received.
  • Personalization in Communication: Master the art of crafting messages that are tailored to the unique needs, preferences, and personalities of your audience, fostering stronger relationships and increasing engagement.
  • Strengthened Leadership Skills: Develop essential leadership competencies that are grounded in emotional intelligence, active listening, and constructive feedback to drive team performance and create a positive, collaborative culture.
  • Recognize How Others Want to Be Communicated With: Participants will gain the ability to recognize how different people prefer to receive information, allowing them to tailor their communication to meet the specific needs and preferences of others for maximum engagement and impact.
  • Conflict Resolution & Problem-Solving: Equip yourself with strategies to address communication breakdowns, resolve conflicts effectively, and transform challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation.

By participating in this seminar, individuals will walk away with practical, easy-to-implement tools that elevate their ability to communicate with clarity, build lasting relationships, and lead teams with confidence. Whether you are looking to improve team collaboration, enhance your leadership effectiveness, or simply build better interpersonal connections, this seminar provides the skills and strategies to achieve success.

This is not just a seminar; it’s an investment in building better teams, stronger leadership, and more meaningful relationships that will have a lasting impact on your personal and professional growth.

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Embracing Change—Change is Awesome

When we actively seek change, we position ourselves and our organizations to continually evolve, stay competitive, and unlock fresh opportunities. In this dynamic and transformative keynote, we explore the concept of not just accepting change but fully ...

When we actively seek change, we position ourselves and our organizations to continually evolve, stay competitive, and unlock fresh opportunities.

In this dynamic and transformative keynote, we explore the concept of not just accepting change but fully embracing it as a powerful catalyst for growth—both personally and organizationally. Change, by nature, brings risk, but with risk comes the exhilarating possibility of innovation, reinvention, and progress. This session will inspire your team to view change not as a challenge to endure, but as an exciting opportunity to unlock new potential, refine existing processes, and elevate practices that drive success.

By shifting our mindset from merely “tolerating” change to actively “seeking” it, we open doors to fresh ideas, creative solutions, and a renewed sense of purpose. Change becomes a strategic tool, not just for survival, but for thriving in a fast-paced, ever-evolving world.

This keynote will empower your organization to view change as an essential driver of improvement and excellence, fostering a culture where innovation is embraced, prudent risk is celebrated, and every shift is seen as a steppingstone toward achieving greater success.

Key Takeaways:

  • Shift from Tolerating to Embracing Change: Learn how to move from merely enduring change to actively seeking and leveraging it as an opportunity for growth, both personally and organizationally.
  • Unlock the Power of Risk: Understand how embracing risk as an integral part of change can fuel innovation, spark creativity, and open the door to new possibilities within your team and organization.
  • Change as a Strategic Advantage: Discover how adopting a forward-thinking mindset toward change can give your organization a competitive edge, helping you stay ahead of trends and lead industry transformation.
  • Foster a Culture of Continuous Improvement: Gain insights into how fostering an environment where change is encouraged leads to ongoing refinement of processes, validation of best practices, and continuous organizational improvement.
  • Reframe Challenges as Opportunities: Learn how to inspire your team to view obstacles and disruptions not as roadblocks, but as steppingstones for innovation and growth.
  • Boost Team Engagement Through Change: Understand how to involve your team in the process of change, making them active contributors who feel empowered and motivated to shape the future of the organization.
  • Harness Change to Strengthen Organizational Resilience: Discover how to build resilience within your organization by making change an expected and embraced part of your strategy, allowing you to adapt more quickly and effectively in times of uncertainty.
  • Reignite Passion and Purpose in Your Work: See how embracing change not only improves organizational success but also reignites personal motivation and excitement, leading to a more engaged, energized, and passionate workforce.

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Journey in Excellence: Leading and Living in Excellence - A Customizable Leadership Development Experience

Great leadership begins with becoming better at who we are. Journey in Excellence is a dynamic, interactive leadership development program designed to help individuals and organizations close the gap between their potential and their performance. Led by ...

Great leadership begins with becoming better at who we are.

Journey in Excellence is a dynamic, interactive leadership development program designed to help individuals and organizations close the gap between their potential and their performance. Led by retired U.S. Army Brigadier General, successful entrepreneur, and bestselling author Mike Oster, this experience combines real-world leadership lessons, personal development strategies, and practical tools to help participants lead themselves more effectively, inspire others, and build high-performing teams.

Available as a half-day workshop, full-day seminar, or immersive two-day experience, the program is fully customizable to address the unique challenges, priorities, and goals of each organization. Content can be tailored to emphasize personal leadership, communication, team development, organizational culture, accountability, or performance improvement.

Key Takeaways May Include:

  • Leading Yourself First: Strengthen self-awareness, attitude, purpose, values, and personal standards to become a more intentional and effective leader.
  • Emotional Intelligence & Resilience: Develop the mindset and skills to manage emotions, navigate challenges, embrace change, and lead confidently under pressure.
  • Communication & Relationships: Improve communication, understand behavioral styles, build trust, and strengthen relationships through greater awareness and appreciation of others.
  • Building High-Performing Teams: Create a culture of trust, engagement, accountability, and excellence where people are inspired and empowered to perform at their best.
  • Purpose, Priorities & Execution: Align goals and daily actions with what matters most, develop productive habits, and close the gap between knowing what to do and consistently doing it.
  • Leadership Accountability & Action: Translate insights into practical strategies, measurable commitments, and a personal leadership development plan that drives lasting improvement.

More than a traditional leadership seminar, Journey in Excellence challenges participants to think differently, take ownership of their attitudes and actions, and recognize the impact they have on the people and organizations around them.

Built around Mike’s signature philosophy, Make Excellence Your Average, the program reinforces one powerful belief:

When we become better at who we are, we become better in all we do.

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First You Give: Building Trust, Communication & High-Performing Teams - A Customizable DISC-Based Team Development Experience

Building More Effective Teams is a dynamic, highly interactive team development experience designed to address these challenges by helping individuals better understand themselves, appreciate the differences in others, and build stronger, more productive working relationships...

Building More Effective Teams is a dynamic, highly interactive team development experience designed to address these challenges by helping individuals better understand themselves, appreciate the differences in others, and build stronger, more productive working relationships.

Led by retired U.S. Army Brigadier General, entrepreneur, and certified DISC trainer Mike Oster, this program uses the DISC behavioral assessment as a foundation for improving communication, strengthening relationships, increasing trust, and creating a more positive and productive organizational culture.

Built around Mike’s First You Give philosophy, the program challenges participants to recognize that strong relationships begin with personal responsibility. Rather than expecting others to communicate, behave, or respond the way we prefer, participants learn to adapt their own approach to better connect with and influence those around them.

Available as a customized 2-hour workshop, half-day seminar, or full-day team development experience, the program combines DISC behavioral insights, engaging activities, meaningful discussions, and practical strategies tailored to the unique needs, challenges, and goals of each organization.

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About Keynote Speaker Mike Oster

Mike Oster helps individuals and organizations close the gap between their potential and their performance.

A retired United States Army Brigadier General, successful entrepreneur, bestselling author, and nationally recognized leadership speaker, Mike has spent more than 36 years leading people, building teams, and discovering what it takes to achieve excellence in the most demanding environments.

From leading soldiers through combat deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq to building successful businesses and developing leaders across industries, Mike brings a rare combination of real-world leadership experience, business acumen, and inspirational insight to the stage.

Throughout his career, Mike has recognized a challenge that exists in nearly every organization: talented people with tremendous potential who struggle to consistently translate what they know into what they do. Too often, negative attitudes, resistance to change, inconsistent execution, and a lack of personal accountability prevent individuals and teams from achieving their best. Mike’s mission is to help people overcome those barriers by transforming the way they think, lead, and show up every day.

During his distinguished military career, Mike served in numerous senior leadership positions, including Battalion Commander in Afghanistan, Brigade Commander, Deputy Commanding General for Mobilization at Joint Base Lewis–McChord, and Assistant Adjutant General for the South Dakota Army National Guard. His service earned him some of the military’s highest honors, including the Army Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and Bronze Star Medal.

Beyond the military, Mike has built and led multiple successful businesses, served as an elected City Commissioner, and held leadership positions with numerous civic and nonprofit organizations. He is the founder and President of Oster Consulting and a founding member and past President of Day of Excellence, Inc. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the National Guard Association of the United States.

Mike holds a Master of Science in Industrial Management from South Dakota State University and completed a United States Army War College fellowship at the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies.

As the bestselling author of It Starts With Attitude and creator of the Journey in Excellence personal and leadership development program, Mike has dedicated his work to helping people develop stronger mindsets, embrace change, build meaningful relationships, and create cultures of trust, accountability, and high performance.

His engaging presentations combine powerful storytelling, practical leadership strategies, humor, and actionable takeaways that resonate with audiences across business, education, healthcare, finance, government, and beyond.

At the heart of Mike’s message is a simple but powerful belief:

“When we become better at who we are, we become better in all we do.”

Through his signature philosophy, Make Excellence Your Average, Mike challenges audiences to stop settling for occasional excellence and start making it the standard in how they live, lead, and work every day.

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