Michael J. Reinhart

The Resilient Leader: The mindset to make critical decisions in high stress environments.

My name is Michael J. Reinhart and I am an expert in resilience in high stress/ high consequence environments. My unique perspective and expertise in resilience come from my many years traveling to the world’s wild places as an adventure journalist and through five seasons of my podcast Whiskey and a Map, wherein I interview the best adventurers and explorers. I would like to offer to share this experience and expertise your audience. The presentation will give attendees an understanding of the mindset and skills necessary to go into a challenging project with the ability to think clearly and make good decisions in high pressure environments. They will gain these abilities by adopting the mindset and skills of successful explorers and adventurers. People who go into extreme places, facing unknown challenges where a wrong decision could me death and succeed where most fear to go. It will engage your audience through dramatic storytelling, images and video revealing to them how they can become more resilient and excel under pressure. At the conclusion of my talk, your audience will have a better understanding of resilience and the ability to thrive in challenging circumstances. To think clearly, analyze situations objectively, and make the best possible decisions. It is a sign of strength, resilience, and emotional intelligence. A skill they can develop.

Michael Reinhart is an Adventure photographer and the host of the highly rated (top 3%) podcast Whiskey and a Map.
Mike travels to the world’s wild places to experience the people, cultures and wildlife that live there and bring back their stories. His podcast features stories of adventure and exploration as told by those who lived them.

His travels have taken him into the jungles of Borneo, the highlands of Guatemala, and the villages of Kenya. Whether it is a remote Mayan village in Southern Mexico or the streets of Istanbul, Mike possesses an ability to connect with people bridging cultural differences and finding common understanding and respect.

Mike is a former Adventure Racer and mountaineer. He became a certified scuba diver at the young age of 13 and holds rescue diver qualifications. He has dived on reefs, wrecks and in kelp bed forests in many of the world’s oceans. His passions run deep with the sea and in the high mountains and it is there where he feels most at home.

Professionally, Mike earned a Diploma in Advanced International Legal Studies at the University of Salzburg, a Juris Doctorate at McGeorge School of Law, a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a second Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Ecology at the University of California, Irvine.

Mike is an inspirational speaker specializing in leadership resilience and critical decision making in high stress/ adverse consequence situations. He empowers leaders with the mindset, principles and tools possessed by successful expedition leaders so that they may excel in times of crises.

Michael works with CEO’s, Executives, and other leaders- decision makers- who must act in the reality of ever-changing conditions and higher levels of uncertainty. Who, as a consequence, experience anxiety and fear which clouds their judgment and impairs good decision making at a time it is most critical. Working to develop that certain mindset and necessary skills, Michael improves their ability to take decisive action in the face of uncertainty with a clear, calm, and focused mind.

A rare combination of leadership experience in both government and expeditions, Michael has earned a reputation for being cool in the face of a crises. His leadership highlights include:

•Superior Court Judge. Elected to Presiding Judge overseeing all operations of the Court. Appointed by the California Chief Justice to serve on the state-wide Trial Court Budget Advisory Committee.

•Chief Deputy of the Kings County District Attorney’s Office overseeing all operations.

· •Lead prosecutor in case against the Hells Angels motorcycle gang successfully obtaining the first conviction of its kind under the state’s criminal street gang statutes.

•Team captain/chief navigator of the Adventure Racing team that won the Four Winds Adventure Racing Series.

· •American Alpine Institutes Alpine Mountaineering and Technical Leadership course

· •Establishing field medical clinics and other projects with Rotary International in Guatemala.

· •Assisting an NGO in running temporary dental clinics in rural Kenya.

· •Board member of the United Way Kings County.

· •President of Rotary Club of Hanford.