Kristin Goodwin is a thought leader, adviser to Fortune 500 executives, and the first female Bomb Wing Commander in the United States Air Force.
A retired Brigadier General and Legion of Merit recipient, Goodwin was recently appointed by TechWise, the Colorado Springs defense firm, as the company’s chief operations officer.
That is not her only role. She is also the CEO and founder of Delta-v, a niche firm that advises companies, CEOs, and Boards of tech, space, and defense companies.
Leadership That Inspires and Transforms
Goodwin sums up her leadership style in these terms – she navigates complexity, inspires clarity, and sparks transformation. She lives by these values – consciousness, excellence, innovation, and respect. Combined with her experience and skills, these qualities make her a sought-after adviser and speaker.
On what consciousness means to her, Goodwin said, “Consciousness is not just a state of awareness but a guiding principle that shapes how I interact with the world and strive to live a meaningful and purposeful life. It’s about being in tune with and present with my thoughts, actions, and their consequences, and striving to align them with my values and ideals.”
For Goodwin, excellence thrives in collaboration, professionalism, and teamwork. “I do this by cultivating an environment where each individual’s potential is supported and magnified while together, we nurture a culture of excellence,” she explained.
“Above all, I feel excellence is not a static destination; it’s a dynamic journey fueled by passion, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to greatness in every facet of life.”
On respect, Goodwin said, “Respect is a fundamental value of mine and a principle that involves recognizing the inherent worth and dignity of every individual, regardless of their background, beliefs, or differences. I am intentional about treating others with kindness, empathy, and consideration, and acknowledging their rights, feelings, and boundaries.”
Excellence, Goodwin said, is ingrained in her core, as she said she upholds the highest standards of performance and perpetually strives for improvement. “I reach to transcend predefined benchmarks, embodying a ceaseless dedication to growth and development. I embrace challenges as opportunities for learning and refinement, fostering a mindset of continuous evolution,” she explained.
“Innovation as a personal value is about me embracing change, uncertainty, and the unknown. It’s about me having the courage to explore new ideas, the resilience to overcome obstacles, and the determination to make a positive difference in the world,” Goodwin said.
For Goodwin, innovation is not just about creating something entirely new but also about reimagining existing concepts or processes to make them more efficient, effective, or impactful. “I do this by challenging the status quo, questioning assumptions, and pushing the boundaries of what is possible.”
A Childhood Experience Inspired Her Career
These values are a result of the path she followed after a defining moment that inspired her to be a pilot. She was 10 years old in 1981, when the space shuttle Columbia launched its first mission, opening possibilities of reusable space transportation. “There are no words to describe what my 10-year-old self saw that day. The brightness of flames from the solid rocket boosters, the sheer power and force, the deafening sound moments after liftoff – it was all beyond description.”
Goodwin recalled that she felt a mix of nervousness and excitement as a huge white cloud emerged from the base of the shuttle. The intense brightness, the flames scorching a line through the sky, leaving a thick trail of orange smoke. Within moments, the shuttle was soaring high above her. “In that very instant, the unknown, the adventure, the escape: it was all enticing. I imagined the shuttle astronauts looking back on Earth, the world looking so peaceful from their vantage point. Yet to me, from my viewpoint here on Earth, my childhood did not make sense. And on that very day I decided that it would make sense and I then realized what I wanted to do: I wanted to be an astronaut. It was at this moment that I declared to the world that I wanted to go to the Air Force Academy and become a pilot.”
Flying Combat in Bosnia as Mission Commander
While Goodwin noted that there are many defining moments that shaped her career, one stands out. It was 1997, and she was selected to be the mission commander for an EC-140 firing squadron, flying combat in Bosnia. She was 25 and in charge of a team of 15.
She was the only woman and the youngest on her crew. They were what is called a “hard crew,” which meant for the next six months they did everything together on a three-day cycle: they flew, then had a day off, then they were on alert for a day.
Two months into their deployment, they arrived at the morning briefing and were given a mission that would put her leadership and the crew’s teamwork to the test. They were to fly to Bosnia with two Army Rangers on board to help their team confiscate a surface-to-air missile from the enemy. This mission included nine linguists and analytical experts who listen to the enemy’s communication, and their weapon systems and actively jam the enemy’s capabilities keeping friendly forces on the ground safe.
Two enemy fighters came after them; they were being tailed by MIG fighter jets. Fortunately, F-16s arrived just in time, and without any shots fired, they scared off the MIGs and they went on with their mission, but not without another incident. There was a fire in the aircraft. The team successfully put it out and landed; the details are a story for another time. Kristen Goodwin has many.
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