About Next Mission Leadership
Built from the highest levels of leadership to help organizations navigate, decide, and execute what’s next.
Our Mission
To help leaders and organizations navigate uncertainty, decide with clarity, and execute with discipline—so they are always ready for what’s next.
Next Mission Leadership was built on a simple belief: experience alone is not enough. What matters is how leaders apply what they’ve learned to new challenges.
Through the NEXT Framework and a bench of leaders who have operated at the highest levels, we help organizations turn experience into action—and action into continuous improvement.
Founder
Douglas R. Lindsay, PhD
Douglas R. Lindsay, PhD, is the Founder of Next Mission Leadership and a retired U.S. Air Force officer with over three decades of experience in leadership, human performance, and organizational development.
He has served as a scientist, professor, and senior leader, with a PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Penn State. His work has focused on decision-making, leadership development, and performance in high-stakes environments.
Doug founded Next Mission Leadership to help individuals and organizations apply proven leadership principles to navigate uncertainty, make better decisions, and execute with discipline in what comes next.
Our Leadership Bench
Next Mission Leadership is not built on a single perspective.
It is built on a bench of leaders who have operated at the highest levels and who are brought together to solve your toughest challenges.
John Wayne Troxell
Ramón “CZ” Colón-López
Senior Advisor
John Wayne Troxell served as the 3rd Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest enlisted position in the U.S. military. With decades of combat and leadership experience, he brings unmatched insight into leadership under pressure, accountability, and building high-performing teams in complex environments.
Senior Advisor
Ramón “CZ” Colón-López served as the 4th Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman and spent his career in special operations. His experience spans global leadership, high-risk decision-making, and operating in the most demanding environments. He brings deep expertise in resilience, leadership, and execution under pressure.
James D. Rodriguez
Brook Leonard
Senior Advisor
James D. Rodriguez is a former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training and has held senior leadership roles across government and industry. He brings extensive experience in workforce strategy, policy, and organizational transformation, helping organizations align people, mission, and performance.
Senior Advisor
Brook Leonard is a retired U.S. Air Force Major General with extensive experience leading large, complex organizations. He has held executive roles in both the military and private sector, bringing expertise in strategy, innovation, and enterprise-level leadership.
How We Engage
We don’t assign a single consultant to your problem.
We bring a leadership bench.
Every engagement is tailored, bringing in leaders with the experience most relevant to your challenge. This ensures you benefit from multiple senior-level perspectives aligned through the NEXT Framework.