General Rick Hillier

Bio    |    Videos    |    Books

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Leading Change & People Development

Former Chief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Forces & Bestselling Author of Leadership

What You'll Learn

• Leadership in tough times based on lessons learned from the school of hard knocks
• How to guide leaders in every part of our society, by absorbing that leadership is all about people
• How team building is about embracing those in your charge and winning over those you need to work with and not about risk aversion or management fads
• Leadership lessons through the stories of the men and women who represent our country around the world, and doing the toughest jobs imaginable
• Leadership principles that will challenge the way you run your business, start a project or take that next step in life
• How leaders think long, and have a vision. Their actions speak, not their words, and how they make their own luck
• How leaders can also act out of moral courage, accept failure, take advantage of crisis and are perpetually optimistic

Bio

Born in Newfoundland and Labrador, General Rick Hillier joined the Canadian Forces as soon as he could. Having enrolled in the Canadian Forces in 1973 through the Regular Officer Training Plan program, he graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science Degree. After completing his armour officer classification training, he joined his first regiment, the 8th Canadian Hussars (Princess Louise's) in Petawawa, Ontario. Subsequently, he served with, and later commanded, the Royal Canadian Dragoons in Canada and Germany.

Throughout his career, General Hillier has had the privilege and pleasure of commanding troops from the platoon to multi-national formation level within Canada, Europe, Asia and the United States. He has worked as a staff officer in several headquarters, first at the Army level in Montreal and later at the strategic level in Ottawa.

In 1998 General Hillier was appointed as the first Canadian Deputy Commanding General of III Corps, US Army in Fort Hood, Texas. In 2000 he took command of NATO's Stabilization Force's (SFOR) Multinational Division (Southwest) in Bosnia-Herzegovina. In May 2003 General Hillier was appointed as Commander of the Army and subsequently, in October 2003, he was selected as the Commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Kabul, Afghanistan.

General Hillier was promoted to his present rank and assumed duties as the Chief of the Defence Staff on February 4, 2005. He retired from the Canadian Forces in July 2008. His publication recounting his role and experiences within the Canadian military, A Soldier First, was published in October 2009.

General Hillier and his wife have two sons, a daughter-in-law, and a new grandson. General Hillier enjoys most recreational pursuits but, in particular, runs slowly, plays hockey poorly and golfs not well at all.

What people say about General Rick Hillier

Unstoppable. Immensely persuasive. Steeped in Newfoundlander charm. Magnetic leader. More impressive than any politician in Ottawa. Ask about a soldier named Rick Hillier and the superlatives never cease.

- Lawrence Martin , The Globe and Mail

Books

Video Samples

People can't stop talking about The Art of Leadership...

An excellent selection of speakers on topics current to management development.

- Corrie Gicante, Coordinator Coaching/Mentoring, Ontario Catholic Supervisory Officers Association