Mike Sarraille

#3 Globally Ranked Leadership Speaker, Bestselling Author, Retired Navy SEAL & Chief Talent Officer

Mike Sarraille

#3 Globally Ranked Leadership Speaker, Bestselling Author, Retired Navy SEAL & Chief Talent Officer

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Biography

Retired U.S. Navy SEAL Mike Sarraille is a 3x bestselling author and 4x Global Top 30 leadership speaker, ranked #3 in the world by Global Gurus in 2026, 2025, 2024, and 2023, and recognized as a Top Military Speaker in 2026. He is known for his work in leadership, organizational culture, the warrior mindset, and building high-performing teams. Mike served 20 years in Special Operations, including assignments with the Joint Special Operations Command, and led combat missions during the Battles of Ramadi and Sadr City.

After military service, Mike founded Talent War Group, a leadership development and executive search firm acquired in 2024. He now serves as Chief Talent Officer at Overwatch Mission Critical, where he helped scale revenue from $19M to $50M and built a high-performance culture recognized with 15 culture awards. In 2026, Overwatch earned Top Workplaces Culture Excellence Awards for Innovation, Employee Well-Being, Leadership, Employee Appreciation, Work-Life Flexibility, Compensation and Benefits, and Purpose and Values. Under his leadership, Glassdoor and Indeed scores increased from 3.0 to 4.9, reflecting a measurable shift in engagement and performance.

Mike is the author of The Talent War, The Everyday Warrior, and Scarlett’s Big Shot, part of the Left of Bang series for young leaders. He leads Everyday Warrior Nation, a leadership platform featured in Sports Illustrated and Men’s Journal, where he hosts a podcast and column focused on leadership and performance. He is also the host of The Unsung of Arlington on FOX Nation, now in Season 1 and Season 2, a series honoring fallen American heroes through powerful storytelling.

Mike is the founder of Legacy Expeditions, leading record-setting missions that honor fallen heroes. In January 2023, his team set four world records by skydiving onto all seven continents in under seven days. He also served as executive producer for the documentaries Drop Zone Everest and Triple 7, released in theaters nationwide. He continues to serve as an ambassador for veteran-focused nonprofits, advancing leadership through service and example.

Most importantly, he is a proud husband and father to 3 future leaders.

Speaker Videos

Mike Sarraille Keynote Speaking Reel

Speech Topics

Evolved Leadership: Leadership Built for Growth, Anchored in Behavior

Leadership fails when standards slip after success. Evolved Leadership shows leaders how to sustain performance through behavior, not position. This keynote delivers a clear framework leaders use to build trust, reinforce accountability, and lead through influence in complex environments.

Audience takeaway

Lead through behavior and standards
Create ownership without micromanagement
Sustain excellence after wins

The Talent War: How Special Operations and Great Organizations Win on Talent

Talent is the ultimate competitive advantage. This keynote challenges outdated hiring and development models and reframes talent as a leadership responsibility. Mike shares proven principles used by elite teams to attract, select, and develop high performers built on character, alignment, and execution.

Audience takeaway

Shift from resumes to attributes
Build teams aligned to culture and standards
Protect performance through better talent decisions

The Everyday Warrior Mindset: A No-Hack, Practical Approach to Life

High performance starts with self-leadership. This keynote delivers a no nonsense approach to discipline, resilience, and personal ownership. Mike shows how individuals perform consistently by controlling what they can, responding better under pressure, and aligning daily actions with values.

Audience takeaway

Stronger discipline and consistency
Practical tools for resilience
Ownership at every level

High Performing Teams: Making the Seemingly Impossible, Possible

Elite teams win through trust, clarity, and execution. Drawing from combat operations and world record expeditions, Mike breaks down the behaviors that separate average teams from elite ones. The focus is execution under pressure when failure is not an option.

Audience takeaway

Trust driven team behaviors
Clear standards for execution
Accountability without fear

Testimonials

"We need to compete to retain, develop, engage and inspire our people and Mike provided accessible and practical ideas for us to do that. He displayed the highest level of preparation and professionalism. During the discussion, all attendees provided positive feedback, and they said it was one of the most valuable speakers we have hosted here at Intel."

- Chief Learning Officer and VP of Human Resources | INTEL

"Best Keynote I’ve seen. I’ve been to 100 industry conferences over the past decade, but that was next level."

- Divisional Vice President of Abbott

“Mike's message on leadership was nothing short of transformative. He spoke candidly about what it truly means to lead, while also recognizing that not everyone is destined for a leadership role—and that’s perfectly okay. As someone who thrives in a supportive role, I found his insights deeply affirming and empowering. Mike emphasized the critical value of strong teams and the essential role they play in any leader’s success, a truth that resonated powerfully with our entire group. His ability to connect with every individual in the room, regardless of their position, made his talk both inspiring and profoundly impactful. Mike doesn’t just speak about leadership; he speaks to the heart of what makes teams excel."

- Vice President Manufacturing and Labor Affairs of Ford Motor Company

“Mike’s presentation was one of the best I ever witnessed. And trust me I have seen a lot of leadership presentations!"

- HR Manager, Total Environmental & Power Systems, Inc

"Mike has a way of engaging the audience that I haven’t seen before. His passion comes across in his delivery and inspires you to be a better person. His speech resonates with today’s work force. We will be bringing back Mike to speak to our team and at our events."

- Chief Impact Officer, Folds of Honor

“We were so honored to have Mike speak at our Sales Kickoff. Indeed, there was so much demand for the event that we made it available to the entire company. Ultimately, the concepts Mike knows deeply as a military leader who saw some of the toughest combat situations are so important for, and yet underutilized in the civilian world. Our entire company walked away inspired to strive for excellence."

- SVP of Sales at Kazoo

“Mike Sarraille is a MUST book speaker! From his book to his podcasts, Mike is a captivating & engaging speaker that had our leaders thinking differently. There is a reason we have brought him back and we are looking forward to welcoming him back for more session."

- Principle Strategic Alliances Manager of UKG

“Mike came into our organization during a transition of management and leadership. He was able to provide a clear path forward for our young new leaders with some great action items mixed with time tested principles. This is why we have brought Mike in over 10 times to speak to our different leadership teams at all our store fronts."

- CEO of Family PowerSports

"WOW! Amazing speaker. I would listen to this again and again given the
chance.."

- Director of Finance, Williams Bros Health Care Pharmacy

“Mike's ability to distill complex military strategy and business concepts into one singular message that impacts everyone in an organization from the operational to the executive tiers of leadership is unparalleled."

- CEO of IEW

“The best presentation I have ever witnessed. Captivating, relevant, and motivating!"

- Credit Human