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    • Home
    • About
    • Books
    • Publications
    • Consulting
    • Diving
    • Adventure
    • Blog
    • Contact
  • Home
  • About
  • Books
  • Publications
  • Consulting
  • Diving
  • Adventure
  • Blog
  • Contact

Consulting

"Success is about BEING the example! Your potential is limited ONLY by your willingness to seek out challenges and strive for improvement."

- AJ Powell

Teaching and lecturing

AJ specializes in Organizational Leadership, the sociological Science of Influence, and has professional experience speaking, teaching, and lecturing on topics such as:


  • The Science of Influence (Leadership)
  • Leadership Development
  • Root-Cause Analysis
  • Performance
  • Economics
  • Process Improvement
  • Relations Building
  • Small Team, Organizational, and Strategic Level Leadership
  • Conflict Minimization and Resolution
  • Logic and Decision-Making Models
  • Communications, Predispositions, and Apprehensions to Communication
  • And more...

Contact

AJ is available for professional educational and guest lecturing opportunities by request.

To discuss future opportunities, please reach out via the contact form on the contact page.

Contact

The "Science of Influence"

"Leadership" is a sub-field of Sociology, however, it is widely characterized as inherently multidisciplinary, containing sociology, psychology, political science, management, statistics, logic, anthropology, economics, and more, in order to understand the mechanisms that drive influence from the individual level, to the organizational level; from the cultural and societal levels.

Leadership is fundamentally the Science of Influence.  Leadership is defined many ways, but perhaps the best definitions include:


US Army Definition:

"Influencing people by providing Purpose, Direction, and Motivation, in order to accomplish the mission, and improve the organization."


Common Definition:

"A process of social influence in which one person is able to enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task."


These definitions underscore that influence is not just a tool of leadership—it is its core mechanism.


Effective leaders use proven psychological principles—such as reciprocity, commitment, social proof, authority, liking, and scarcity—to inspire action, build trust, and drive commitment. The most impactful leaders go beyond formal authority, leveraging these principles to align people around shared goals, foster engagement, and achieve results. Ultimately, the success of leadership hinges on the ability to influence others meaningfully, making "influence" both a science and a practice central to its effectiveness.

Public Speaking

AJ has spoken at university campuses and classrooms, at organizational events, and publicly by request. An educator and mentor at heart, AJ's messages are often educational and empowering, and primarily focus on achievement and exceptionalism, the science of influence (leadership), personal self-betterment, acceptance and ownership of personal responsibility and accountability, core values, thriving outside of your comfort zone and growth, and more.


As an advocate for the veterans community as a whole, AJ speaks to groups of veterans transitioning out of the military, to veteran NPO's, advocacy groups and organizations, and even mentors individuals who express a desire for mentorship or a need for counseling and coaching.


AJ draws heavily on research in each field, his military career and life experiences, and his education in the STEM fields to make his messages relatable and understandable, but also challenging, intellectual, and provoking of critical thinking and engagement from audiences.

Contact

AJ is available for speaking and guest lecturing engagements by request.


To discuss future speaking opportunities, please reach out via the contact form on the contact page.

Contact

Leadership Minute: 01MAY15

Leadership researcher, and retired US Army SSG, AJ Powell, discusses why collective self-awareness as a team is critical to effective teamwork.

Leadership Minute: 24APR15

Leadership researcher, and retired US Army SSG, AJ Powell, discusses why backing each other up and being willing to accept help is critical to team success.

Leadership Minute: 17APR15

Leadership researcher, and retired US Army SSG, AJ Powell, discusses how open communication and a climate that promotes comfort in giving feedback is critical to team success.

Leadership Minute: 10APR15

Leadership researcher, and retired US Army SSG, AJ Powell, discusses the importance of Watch, Listen, and Learn.

Leadership Minute: 03APR15

Leadership researcher, and retired US Army SSG, AJ Powell, discusses how Leadership is not Management.

Leadership Minute: 27MAR15

Leadership researcher, and retired US Army SSG, AJ Powell, discusses micromanagement.

Leadership Minute: 20MAR15

Leadership researcher, retired US Army SSG, AJ Powell, discusses internal conflict and doing the right thing.

Leadership Minute: 09MAR15

Leadership researcher, retired US Army SSG AJ Powell, discusses the BE, KNOW, DO philosophy.

Leadership Minute: 05MAR15

Leadership researcher, retired US Army SSG AJ Powell, discusses being explicit about your standards.

Leadership Minute: 02MAR15

Leadership researcher, retired US Army SSG AJ Powell, discusses how leaders impact ethical culture.

Leadership Minute: 26FEB15

Leadership researcher, retired US Army SSG AJ Powell, discusses how heuristic biases can impact decision making.

Leadership Minute: 23FEB15

Leadership researcher, retired US Army SSG AJ Powell, discusses the recent study published from the US Army War College in February that proves Military Leaders are increasingly willing to lie to meet requirements.


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