Rice’s Kolditz recognized as No. 1 university leadership coach

Tom Kolditz, executive director of Rice’s Doerr Institute for New Leaders, was recognized as the No. 1 university leadership coach by Thinkers50, a global resource for identifying, ranking and sharing leading management ideas. Thinkers50 presented the distinction in partnership with acclaimed leadership coach Marshall Goldsmith.

Kolditz, who was also recognized as a finalist for the Thinkers50 Coaching and Mentoring Award, was honored in London Nov. 18.

Rice established the Doerr Institute in 2015 with significant support from alumni John and Ann Doerr. The institute, with a mission to “elevate the leadership capacity of Rice students across the university,” is the country’s first professional leadership development program offered at no cost to all undergraduate and graduate students and is the premier leadership institute for individualized guidance from credentialed coaches. For an in-depth profile on the institute and its work with students, read “Beyond the Buzzword” in the fall issue of Rice Magazine.

Prior to joining Rice, Kolditz, a retired brigadier general, taught as a professor in the practice of leadership and management and was director of the Leadership Development Program at the Yale School of Management. He also led the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at the U.S. Military Academy for 12 years.

Goldsmith, who is by most accounts the world’s leading executive coach, visited Rice Sept. 9-10 to share some of the key insights he’s gleaned from teaching more than 150 CEOs and their management teams to become effective leaders.