Dick Richardson
Dick is a seasoned professional whose life and career are marked by resilience, innovation, and a deep sense of humanity.
A Legacy of Leadership and Innovation
Richardson’s deep insights into leadership stem from decades of experience.
He previously served as Director of Executive Leadership Development at ITT and held numerous leadership roles in management development at IBM, where he was responsible for leadership curriculum and management development across Asia.
As a longtime IBM employee, Dick played a pivotal role in advancing educational technology and shaping experiential learning methodologies.
His innovative contributions reflect a deep commitment to enhancing problem-solving capabilities and transforming the way individuals approach learning and development.
Revolutionizing Adult Learning Design
Richardson has a deep passion for understanding adult learning design — a focus that led him to develop two patents in the field.
He explains that while children are like sponges, absorbing almost anything, adults are much more discerning, constantly evaluating the relevance of new information.
If something doesn’t feel immediately applicable, they’re likely to discard it. His first patent focused on identifying the unique learning needs of adults, particularly leaders, by analyzing personality assessments, career profiles, self-reports, and other instruments.
The second patent applied these insights through a personalized learning platform that prescribed custom curriculums for leaders, ensuring that the content was relevant and impactful at key moments in their careers.
While IBM holds the rights to these patents, Dick takes pride in the legacy of his work, which continues to impact the field.
As a longtime IBM employee, Dick played a pivotal role in advancing educational technology and shaping experiential learning methodologies. His innovative contributions reflect a deep commitment to enhancing problem-solving capabilities and transforming the way individuals approach learning and development.
Founding Experience to Lead: Transforming Leadership Education
After retiring from IBM, Richardson founded Experience to Lead with a bold idea: to take senior executives to places where they would have unique experiences that could shape their leadership thinking. The goal was to transform learning from a passive obligation into an engaging, voluntary pursuit.
Leadership Lessons from NASA and Beyond
He negotiated a Space Act Agreement with NASA, creating programs that brought leaders to Johnson Space Center and Kennedy Space Center, where they met astronauts, flight directors, and other NASA professionals. Participants explored historic artifacts like giant rockets while diving into NASA’s history — from devastating failures like Apollo 1, Columbia, and Challenger, to its extraordinary achievements.
Through these experiences, executives drew parallels between high-stakes space missions and the challenges of leading major organizations.
His programs have worked with top organizations like Goldman Sachs, Amazon, the Federal Reserve Board, the U.S. Patent Office, and the Royal Bank of Canada.
Experience to Lead was a success, and though he sold the company in 2020, Dick remains proud of the impact it had on countless professionals.
Richardson’s work with NASA, the Smithsonian Institution, Space Center Houston, and Kennedy Space Center also inspired his book, Apollo Leadership Lessons: Powerful Business Insights for Executives. The iconic moon footprint on the book’s cover represents the lasting impact leaders leave behind — much like the Apollo missions left an indelible mark on history.
He was honored as the 2019 Gold Stevie® Award Entrepreneur of the Year in Business and Professional Services.
Personal Resilience and the ‘Miracle on the Hudson
His leadership philosophy is also profoundly shaped by personal experiences — notably as a survivor of
Flight 1549, the “Miracle on the Hudson.”
A routine flight from New York to Charlotte turned into a life-changing event when US Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of geese, leading Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger to make a historic emergency landing on the Hudson River.
Dick found himself standing on the plane’s wing, freezing and disoriented, yet witnessing the remarkable calm and cooperation among passengers.
His reflections on that day reveal not only admiration for the flight crew’s skill and courage but also for the quiet heroism of ordinary people helping one another in the face of adversity.
He has witnessed firsthand how great leadership makes a difference, even in moments of extreme crisis.
In recounting his experience, Dick infuses humor and humility, including a bewildered exchange with a New Jersey state trooper — who felt compelled to clarify that Dick was in “Weehawken, New Jersey, United States of America.”
While he was physically fine, Dick recalls being completely disoriented about his location, highlighting how assumptions about others’ thoughts can sometimes be wrong — a subtle yet impactful lesson.
A Family Man with a Passion for Lifelong Learning
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Dick Richardson is a devoted family man who cherishes quality time with his wife, often sharing meaningful moments over a glass of wine.
He is also a proud father of three children, including his youngest daughter, whose disability means she will remain with them for life — a constant source of strength, inspiration, and profound perspective.
As a father, he always believed in weaving learning into life’s adventures. Family vacations weren’t just about relaxation but about understanding the world of work.
He took his children to places where people were working, so they could see firsthand the value and dignity in every job — whether it was meeting a newspaper reporter, watching chocolate being made in Hershey, Pennsylvania, or visiting Corning Glass in Corning, New York.
In addition to his professional and personal milestones, Dick’s life is colored by diverse passions and talents. He has an enduring love for music, puzzles, history, and exploring new ideas.
A Storyteller and Mentor to Many
Above all, Dick is a storyteller. Whether recounting the Miracle on the Hudson or sharing lessons from his work, his words carry warmth, wit, and wisdom.
He is a mentor, a thinker, and a quiet hero whose journey continues to inspire those who have the privilege of hearing his story.