Dr. Conan J. Higgins - Crisis does not build character. It reveals it.

About Conan Higgins

Dr. Higgins is an international business attorney, crisis leadership consultant, and Amazon #1 Bestselling author who has spent his career operating where most people only theorize.

Before embarking on his illustrious academic journey, Conan served as a Joint Terminal Attack Controller with U.S. Air Force Special Operations—including parachuting into enemy-held territory in Iraq—earning two Bronze Stars for Valor across combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. After more than 25 years of military service, he became a Washington State Trooper and SWAT team leader before transitioning to international crisis management, where he oversaw projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars across six continents, from the Middle East and Eastern Europe to West Africa and Latin America.

Today, Conan serves as President and General Counsel of TSI Legal Enterprises, advising clients on complex international transactions, defense contracting, and export control compliance. He has consulted for the Government of Qatar, contributed to the World Bank/IMF's "Doing Business" report covering 189 economies, and held leadership positions in the American Bar Association's international law committees. His book, The Maverick's Blueprint: Crisis Leadership for an Unstable World, distills decades of operational experience into practical frameworks for leaders facing high-stakes decisions. He also writes the Princess Gumdrop children's book series—proof that even operators have a softer side.

Episode Notes

00:00 Conan J. Higgins - WIP

10:17 Lesson 1: The Signal Was Always There

14:10 Lesson 2: The Plan Dies on First Contact

15:59 Lesson 3: Calm Is Contagious

17:31 Lesson 4: Crisis Does Not Build Character

18:59 Lesson 5: Decide Who You Are Before the Phone Rings

23:03 Lesson 6: Give People a Job

27:45 Lesson 7: Train for the Day, Not for the Drill

31:24 Lesson 8: Relationships Are the Only Currency That Compounds

34:20 Lesson 9: Read the Room Before You Read the Brief

36:17 Lesson 10: Authority Is Not the Same as Judgment