Steve Harden

Chairman & CEO of LifeWings Partners

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Biography

Steve Harden is Chairmen and CEO of LifeWings Partners LLC – a team of physicians, astronauts, nurses, and pilots that have helped over 140 healthcare organizations in the U.S. and abroad implement the best safety practices from aviation and other high reliability industries. Harden is the author of two books on patient safety, including CRM: The Flight Plan for Lasting Change in Patient Safety, published by HCPro. Results of his patient safety work have appeared in over 35 publications and news outlets. Read More >

For over 20 years Harden has been involved in safety training, producing over 40 separate training programs for commercial aviation, military flight squadrons, heavy construction, military contractors, and healthcare. He is a certified TeamSTEPPS™ Master Trainer and has personally trained over 20,000 physicians, nurses, staff, and administrators in the last 13 years. Harden’s success in helping over 75 healthcare organizations improve their teamwork, increase the reliability of their processes, and measurably improve their care has been featured in more than 35 publications including Fast Company, Health Leaders, Entrepreneur, and PBS Nightly Business Report.

A dynamic presenter, Harden’s interactive presentations have been enjoyed by audiences at annual conferences conducted by AORN, the Joint Commission, American College of Surgeons, American Hospital Association, Society for Thoracic Surgeons, AmSECT, and many state hospital associations and QIOs.

Harden is a professional pilot with 36 years of experience, and is also a captain for a major international airline. His expertise in the field of aviation safety training has garnered him seven awards for superior performance and Quality Achievement. He also served as an adjunct instructor for the University of Southern California’s School of Aviation Safety.

Harden is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy. He accumulated over 300 aircraft carrier landings during service with the U.S. Navy and was selected to be an instructor pilot at the Navy’s elite Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN). He holds an Airline Transport Pilot rating and Type ratings in B-727, B-737, and MD-11 aircraft and has served as an FAA certified flight examiner.

As a pioneer in the application of aviation’s best practices to improve patient safety, Steve Harden has developed a national reputation for his insight and experience in helping healthcare institutions improve the quality of their care. Read Less ^

Speaker Videos

Turbo Charge Your Checklist

Was It Really a Miracle?

Speech Topics

Was It Really a Miracle? What Every Leader Can Learn About High Reliability from Aviation & Captain Sully

US Airways flight 1549, under the command of Captain "Sully" Sullenberger, ditched in the Hudson River in New York City due to a catastrophic loss of thrust in both engines. Capt. Sully and his crew have been widely hailed as heroes and the ditching event has been repeatedly described in the media as the "Miracle on the Hudson." Few outside observers understand the three key ingredients of the culture of safety – and the key leadership actions necessary to create this culture in high reliability organizations – that contributed to the successful outcome of the event. By analyzing the lessons learned from the Miracle on the Hudson, healthcare leaders will understand the steps needed to replicate the key components of a high-performance culture where team members hold one another accountable to do what they say they are going to do. This highly customized presentation includes messages about teamwork and collaboration, hardwired safety tools, and just culture.

Team Decision Making: How Leaders Can Create a Culture That Demands Team Member Involvement

In this presentation, Steve Harden conducts an experiential session in which participants will learn how to encourage (and get) the input of their colleagues in a way that fosters a culture where it is both safe, and expected, to speak up. The presentation utilizes a dynamic, skills-building role play requiring the participation of all audience members.

Communicate & Cross-Check for High Performance

Drawing on his years as a TOPGUN fighter pilot and corporate coach to thousands of professionals, Steve Harden leads participants through an interactive and dynamic session Read More >

They learn to: Read Less ^

Cross-check peer performance to provide mutual support;
Speak up and make an assertive statement and create a "stop-the-line" mentality;
Train their colleagues how to make an assertive statement.

Coaching for Improved Work Performance & Accountability

With concrete examples and real-life stories, Steve Harden tackles with a simple and effective approach the problem with which every leader struggles – why people don't do what you want them to do in the workplace. Read More >

The audience will leave the session with a new-found confidence in their ability to get the high performance they need from their staff. Participants will know: Read Less ^

The four reasons direct reports don't do what you want them to do;
How to diagnose which reason for non-compliance is in play;
How to conduct coaching conversations with direct reports to create performance accountability.

Deepwater Horizon's Final Hours: What Every Organization Can Learn About Teamwork, Process & Leadership from the Gulf Oil Disaster

With riveting storytelling, Steve Harden dissects the final hours of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform. The spellbinding account of events not told by the headlines reveals mission-critical lessons for every organization where mistakes can be disastrous. The firestorm that engulfed the rig and reduced men known for their toughness to tears illuminates the consequences for failure every leader should heed – high reliability depends on expert teamwork, standardized processes, and leaders committed to creating an environment where teamwork and standardization flourish.