Founder, Tribe + Purpose | Retired Green Beret LTC | Leadership and Executive Coach | Author | TEDx speaker

Otis McGregor

Build better leaders. Create stronger teams. Thrive in chaos.

Otis McGregor is a leadership and executive coach, author, speaker, podcast host, project management trainer, retired Green Beret Lieutenant Colonel, rugby coach and founder of Tribe and Purpose. Drawing on 25 years in Army Special Operations, executive leadership, business development, project management, coaching and entrepreneurship, Otis helps leaders and teams navigate chaos, make better choices and build organizations that succeed under pressure.

Request booking info →Keynotes and workshops

Practical leadership for real-world pressure

Leadership is easy to talk about when everything is calm. It matters most when things are uncertain, uncomfortable and chaotic.

Otis has spent his career leading, coaching and building teams in environments where clarity, discipline, communication and trust are not optional. From Army Special Operations to business strategy, government contracting, rugby coaching, executive coaching and project management training, he brings a practical, no-nonsense approach to leadership development.

His keynotes and workshops help audiences understand what leadership really requires: better choices, stronger habits, clearer thinking, and the willingness to do the work that is rarely glamorous but always necessary.

What Otis helps audiences do

Thrive in chaos. Leadership does not require perfect conditions. Make decisions, stay grounded and keep moving when the situation is uncertain, complex or changing fast.
Lead without the hype. Real leadership is not always exciting, visible or glamorous. The practical, consistent, often unsexy work is what creates trust, performance and long-term success.
Choose with purpose. You may not control every circumstance, but you do get to choose how you respond, how you lead, what you prioritize and who you become through the process.

Watch

Otis's TEDx talk: Life's a Test. Who's Grading You?

Otis has delivered leadership lessons on stages, in boardrooms, on rugby fields and in some of the most demanding environments in the world. Watch his TEDx talk to get a feel for his direct, practical and experienced approach to helping people lead through chaos and choose with purpose.

Short on time? The first few minutes give you his presence and message.

Featured keynotes and workshops

Four sessions, one standard: practical

Thrive in Chaos

Leadership, clarity and decision-making when conditions are uncertain

Chaos is not the exception. In leadership, business, teams and life, chaos is often the environment you are asked to operate in. Otis helps audiences understand how to lead when the plan changes, the pressure rises and the path forward is unclear, with practical tools for staying grounded, making decisions, communicating clearly and helping teams keep moving.

Best for

Leadership teams
Executives and managers
Small businesses
Project teams
Veteran groups
Emergency response and high-pressure teams
Entrepreneurs
Organizations navigating change

Takeaways

Stay calm and clear when conditions change
Make better decisions under pressure
Communicate priorities in chaotic environments
Create structure without becoming rigid
Help teams move without the full picture
Build confidence through preparation, discipline and action

Formats

30 to 45 minute keynote
60 to 120 minute workshop
Leadership training session
Virtual or in person

Ask about this session

Leadership Isn't Sexy

The consistent, unglamorous work that creates real success

Leadership is marketed as charisma, big speeches, bold visions and public recognition. Most of the work that builds successful teams is not flashy. It is listening. Following up. Setting expectations. Having hard conversations. Preparing. Communicating. Building trust. Developing people. Doing the small things consistently when nobody is applauding. Otis cuts through the hype and shows why the boring, consistent work separates strong leaders from loud ones.

Best for

Emerging leaders
Managers
Executives
Business owners
Military and veteran audiences
Project managers
Coaches
Leadership development programs

Takeaways

Leadership image vs. leadership impact
Build trust through consistency
Communicate expectations clearly
Have the hard conversations instead of avoiding them
Develop people through habits, not slogans
Lead with discipline when motivation fades

Formats

30 to 45 minute keynote
60 to 120 minute workshop
Leadership development session
Virtual or in person

Ask about this session

You Get to Choose

Ownership, response and the leadership power of choice

You do not always get to choose the situation, the timing, the challenge, the setback or the people around you. You do get to choose your response. Otis helps audiences understand choice as a leadership discipline. Whether someone is leading a team, navigating transition, building a business or working through adversity, the ability to pause, own the response and choose the next action is one of the most important leadership skills they can develop.

Best for

Leaders and managers
Students and young professionals
Veteran and transition groups
Entrepreneurs
Men's groups
Teams navigating change
Personal development events
Community organizations

Takeaways

Take ownership without making excuses
Separate circumstances from response
Make choices aligned with values and purpose
Build discipline around daily decisions
Lead yourself before leading others
Turn setbacks into moments of intentional action

Formats

30 to 45 minute keynote
60 to 120 minute workshop
Fireside chat
Virtual or in person

Ask about this session

Life Is a Test

Preparation, pressure and becoming the person the moment requires

Life does not announce the important tests ahead of time. Pressure, adversity, leadership moments, transition and opportunity often arrive before we feel ready. Drawing from military service, coaching, business, family and leadership development, Otis explores what it means to prepare for life's tests before they arrive, and how discipline, values, habits and purpose shape the way we respond when the moment comes.

Best for

Leadership events
Student groups
Veteran groups
Men's groups
Teams under pressure
Coaches and athletic organizations
Young professionals
Faith and community groups

Takeaways

Prepare for pressure before it arrives
Build habits that hold up under stress
Adversity as a test of values and preparation
Lead with purpose when the outcome is uncertain
Resilience through consistent daily action
Become the person the moment requires

Formats

30 to 45 minute keynote
60 to 120 minute workshop
Team session
Virtual or in person

Ask about this session

Also available: Leading to Innovate (45 min), Transition Prep (30 min), Resilience (45 min), How to Handle a Crisis and Succeed (50 min), Energetic Leadership (30 min), 5 Steps to Become a Master of Chaos (25 min), 3 Steps to Manage Stress (15 min), 3 Steps to Clarity in Your Purpose (15 min), Trust in Leadership (17 min), and the Green Beret Leadership Program as a 6-week course.

Better leaders create better organizations

Otis W. McGregor III, CPD, CPC

LTC, Special Forces, US Army, Retired

Otis is the founder of Tribe + Purpose and a leadership and executive coach with deep experience across military service, business development, project management, coaching and team performance.

He retired from the U.S. Army in 2009 as a Green Beret Lieutenant Colonel after 25 years of service. His military experience included Army Special Operations, counter-terrorism units in Iraq and Afghanistan, Arctic conditions in Alaska, and NATO Special Operations Headquarters. He has been part of building high-performing organizations from the ground up and brings that experience to leaders, businesses and teams today.

After the Army, Otis worked as a Business Development Manager, Director and Chief Strategy Officer for multiple companies. In 2009 he founded LTO Enterprises to help businesses win government contracts, and rebranded it as Tribe + Purpose in 2021.

Otis holds a BS in Engineering Technology from Texas A&M University and an MA in International Affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School. He is a certified business performance coach, Certified Professional Coach and COR.E Leadership and Performance Dynamics Specialist (iPEC), certified project director and trainer through the Institute of Project Management, USA Rugby Level 300 coach, and author of Enable Your Team's Success. He is the inventor of the Pocket Litter, a patented, pocket-sized emergency extraction stretcher for military medics, search and rescue teams and outdoor adventurers. He lives in Colorado with his wife, Suzanne.

At the center of his work is a simple belief: better leaders create better organizations, better organizations create better communities, and better communities create a better world.

Connect with Otis on LinkedIn→ Schedule a call with Otis→ otis@tribe-purpose.com→