Jan Rutherford

I'm the founder of Self-Reliant Leadership® and work with leaders who possess heroic aspirations, and believe the best way to realize results is by developing people. I help clients achieve their goals through executive coaching, speaking, virtual events, online courses, and Crucible® wilderness expeditions with executives and military veterans. As a former Green Beret and successful business executive, I know the value of overcoming challenges to strengthen resilience. My philosophy comes from a confluence of Sparta’s discipline, Socrates’ self-awareness, Aristotle’s courage, Emerson’s self-reliance, and Thoreau’s reflective seclusion. As a LinkedIn Learning instructor and professional speaker, I was recognized as one of “The Top 100 Leadership Speakers” in Inc., and have a TEDx talk on “Suffer Everything - Dare Everything: Why Difficulties Matter.“ I am the co-host of The Leadership Podcast, and have interviewed over 335 thought leaders and luminaries including Simon Sinek, Dan Pink, and General Stanley McChrystal. I am the author of “The Littlest Green Beret: On Self-Reliant Leadership,” and the co-author of “Purposeful People.” As a Senior Instructor at the University of Colorado Denver Business School, I teach leadership to MBA students in the U.S. and Ireland. I also serve on numerous boards, and invest time with select DOD units and veteran organizations.