The Leader Behind the Message
30 years of military and federal leadership — brought directly to your organization.
From the Flight Deck to the Boardroom
Marc Galeski’s leadership journey began in 1996 when he joined the United States Air Force as an air traffic controller — one of the most high-stakes, split-second decision-making environments in the world. Over four years of military service, he developed the foundational instincts that would define his career: clarity under pressure, accountability without excuses, and the ability to lead when the margin for error is zero.
In September 2001 — days before the world changed — Marc joined the FAA at Kansas City ARTCC. Over the next two-plus decades he rose through six executive roles: Controller, Operational Supervisor, Operations Manager, and Traffic Management Officer — before becoming Air Traffic Manager at Kansas City International Airport and then Assistant General Manager for the entire Kansas City District, leading a workforce of more than 800 employees. From there, Marc moved to a Support Services Unit role that put him in direct coordination with FAA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., contributing to national-level leadership and organizational initiatives.
That national vantage point only deepened his conviction: the most powerful leadership happens close to the work. Marc made the deliberate choice to return to the operation, where he currently serves as Traffic Management Officer for the Kansas City District — leading air traffic staff directly and staying connected to the mission. Throughout his career he has designed coaching programs for the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization, supported the ATO-wide rollout of BetterUp Coaching, facilitated more than 50 management workshops, and collaborated with NATCA — the national air traffic controllers’ union — on conflict resolution, relationship development, and organizational change. DM Leadership Consulting is the vehicle for bringing everything he has learned to organizations ready to grow.
30
Years of Service
6
Executive Roles Held
800+
Employees Led at Peak
50+
Management Workshops Facilitated
The Purpose Behind DM Leadership Consulting
Every consulting practice has a story behind it. This one starts with three convictions.
Skill & Talent
Leading others and building high-performing teams. Across 30 years and six executive roles, this is what Marc has done — not in theory, but in one of the most demanding operational environments in the world.
Passion
Helping others achieve their full potential. Not as a tagline — as a lived commitment. Marc has invested in the growth of hundreds of leaders throughout his career, and that investment never felt like work.
Belief
Great leadership creates great organizations and great teams. This isn’t wishful thinking — it’s what Marc has witnessed firsthand. Culture follows leadership. Performance follows culture.
Add those three things together and you get the purpose behind DM Leadership Consulting — a practice built not around a market opportunity, but around a genuine conviction that better leadership makes everything else better.
The DIRECT Leadership Framework
Marc didn’t just study leadership — he lived it. The DIRECT framework is the distillation of 30 years of leading in high-stakes environments, from the flight deck to FAA headquarters.
D
Direction
Great leaders set a clear course. They define where the organization is going and make sure every person on the team understands their role in getting there.
I
Influence
Authority gets compliance. Influence gets commitment. The most effective leaders move people through credibility, trust, and authentic connection — not position alone.
R
Relationships
Performance follows connection. Leaders who invest in relationships — across teams, unions, and hierarchies — build organizations that are resilient when pressure arrives.
E
Execution
Vision without execution is just a conversation. Effective leaders close the gap between intention and outcome — consistently, under pressure, and across all levels of the organization.
C
Clear Communication
In air traffic control, an unclear transmission can cost lives. In organizations, unclear communication costs trust, momentum, and talent. Leaders must say what they mean and mean what they say.
T
Trust
Trust is the currency of leadership. It takes time to build, seconds to break, and it determines whether people follow you when it counts most. Everything else in the DIRECT framework depends on it.
What Marc Brings to Every Engagement
Deep Practitioner Experience
Marc has facilitated workshops across the full leadership spectrum — not as a classroom exercise, but as a practitioner who has lived every topic he teaches:
- Front-line manager fundamentals
- Collective bargaining agreement understanding
- Middle management leadership
- Problem solving & decision making
- Effective communication & resource management
- Interest-based communication
- Relationship development
- NATCA union collaboration & conflict resolution
- Organizational development & team building
He also designed and implemented a formal coaching program for the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization and supported the enterprise-wide rollout of BetterUp Coaching across the ATO.
Assessment & Coaching Credentials
Marc brings hands-on experience with the leading leadership assessment tools — using them not just as diagnostics, but as the starting point for meaningful development conversations:
Hogan Assessments
Personality-based leadership insights covering performance, derailers, and values alignment.
MBTI (Myers-Briggs)
Type-based framework for understanding communication styles, team dynamics, and decision preferences.
CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder)
Strengths-based development that helps leaders build on what they do best rather than fixating on gaps.
Core Clarity
Behavioral and values-based assessment focused on purpose-driven leadership and organizational alignment.
Ready to Work Together?
Marc brings 30 years of real-world leadership experience to every conversation. Whether you need a coach, a facilitator, a speaker, or a strategic thought partner — the first step is simply reaching out.