HOWARD C. FERO, PhD
About Howard C. Fero, PhD
Dr. Howard Fero, known as The Leadership Doc, is an award-winning author, dynamic keynote speaker, professor, consultant, and executive coach who helps people in every field unlock their leadership potential and elevate their impact. For more than twenty-five years he has inspired and educated businesses, non-profits, government agencies, and law enforcement organizations across the country, sharing proven strategies that help teams perform at the highest level.
Recognized as an inspirational, motivational, and innovative facilitator, Howard engages audiences through powerful stories, hands-on exercises, and real-world application that turn leadership theory into action. Whether he is on a main stage, in a half-day workshop, or working one-on-one with an executive, his goal is the same: help leaders build stronger teams, create winning cultures, and get more out of the people around them.
Howard serves as the Director of Graduate Leadership Programs and Professor of Management and Leadership at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Connecticut. A strong believer in giving back, he also serves on the Board of Directors of Homes for the Brave, an organization providing housing and services to homeless veterans.
He is the author of numerous articles, chapters, and books, including Leadership in 5G: Practical Strategies for Individual, Team, and Organizational Success, the Leadership in 5G Companion Workbook: 50 Exercises to Upgrade Your Leadership, and Lead Me Out to the Ballgame: Stories and Strategies to Develop Major League Leadership, which is built on interviews with more than 100 Major League Baseball managers, players, executives, and media members.
Dr. Fero holds a PhD in Organizational Behavior from Claremont Graduate University and a master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology from Baruch College, the City University of New York. He lives in Trumbull, Connecticut with his wife and children.
Watch Howard In Action
Speaking Topics
Based on his bestselling book Leadership in 5G, this keynote helps leaders shift from reactive task management to intentional, people-centered leadership. Howard blends humor, research, and real-world stories to show that leadership is not innate, it is a skill anyone can develop.
The 5G Network of Leadership
- Get Up – build self-leadership and purpose.
- Get Out There – increase visibility using the TALK model.
- Get to Know Your People – understand what motivates your team.
- Give Them What They Need – create environments where people thrive.
- Get Out of the Way – empower your team to operate independently.
- Bonus G: Get to Work – a motivating call to action.
Key Outcomes
- Reduce chaos and micromanagement.
- Strengthen trust, accountability, and team relationships.
- Improve communication clarity and visibility.
- Develop emerging leaders and align teams with a shared leadership language.
Available as an interactive keynote, a half-day or full-day training, or a multi-session leadership development program tailored to your organization.
A high-energy keynote that brings baseball’s most powerful leadership lessons into a toolkit for teams and organizations. Drawing on interviews with more than 100 Major League Baseball managers, coaches, and players, Howard shows that real success goes far beyond the X’s and O’s of the game. Whether participants are lifelong fans or have never watched an inning, they are engaged and entertained through storytelling, humor, and multimedia clips that make the lessons stick.
The Three Dimensions of Major League Leadership
- Leading Yourself – build passion, purpose, and the habits that fuel consistent performance.
- Leading Others – apply the Platinum Rule, cultivate trust, and create a culture where people feel supported and motivated to excel.
- Leading the Game – see the bigger picture, anticipate challenges, and build a winning culture that thrives under pressure.
Based on his book Lead Me Out to the Ballgame, the keynote is structured around the Ten Bases of Major League Leadership, a practical framework that helps individuals and teams reach their highest potential.
Howard draws on his research in leadership, motivation, and team dynamics to show what actually separates high-performing teams from groups of talented individuals. Participants leave with practical tools for building trust, clarifying roles, and creating the conditions where people do their best work.
Culture is built in the everyday conversations leaders either have or avoid. This session gives leaders a shared language for communicating with clarity, listening well, and building a culture where people speak up, challenge ideas, and stay engaged.
Accountability is often confused with pressure. Howard reframes it as a growth tool, giving leaders concrete ways to set expectations, follow through, and hold people to a standard in a way that develops them rather than deflates them.
Program Formats
Ideal for corporate leadership teams, higher education faculty and staff, emerging leader cohorts, government and nonprofit organizations, and retreats, summits, and all-hands events.
Testimonials
I recommend, wholeheartedly, Howard Fero, as a keynote speaker and workshop leader on leadership, management, and supervision. He is entertaining and helps people think in new ways and walk away with concrete best practices they can put into action right away.
Bruce Tulgan – Leading Expert in Management and Generational Dynamics, RainmakerThinkingDr. Fero is outstanding! He can help your organization reinvigorate itself and provide a terrific vehicle to help your employees analyze their role and create strategies to improve the workplace - and win.
Mark Boughton – Commissioner, State of Connecticut, Department of Revenue ServicesHoward brings an exceptional combination of expertise, empathy, and clarity to leadership development. He excels in creating an environment where participants feel empowered to step outside of their comfort zones, explore new perspectives, and build actionable skills they can immediately apply.
Danielle Daly – Director of Human Resources, Sailfish PointHis ability to energize a room, challenge conventional thinking, and create a space for reflection and growth is second to none. His passion, authenticity, and expertise make him a true asset to any organization or institution committed to excellence.
Tom Madera – Associate Director, Public Safety Support Services, Yale UniversityDr. Fero gave the keynote speech at our Teaching & Learning Conference. His presentation was engaging, timely, and very well-received. He is an excellent public speaker. I would recommend him highly.
Jeffrey Briggs – Academic Director, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, St. Petersburg CollegeHoward Fero delivers a very impressive message to help any organization get to the next level quicker!
Kevin Seitzer – Coach, Atlanta BravesCaptivating presentation on leadership! Loved how he engaged both in person and virtual attendees.
Rod Patterson – Vice President, Crum and ForsterIt’s rare to find a leadership expert and speaker who combines insight as well as practical advice in such an engaging way.
Ellen Beal – Hudson-Mohawk ATDFeatured In
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