About Michael J. Schwartz

Dedicated to Leadership and Personal Development

Michael served 13 years in several offices of the CIA. This includes six as a manager, setting the strategic direction of his teams, while helping his officers develop professionally and personally. He was highly decorated throughout his career, receiving over a dozen awards for his exceptional individual and team performance and leadership acumen. Prior to his civil service, Michael provided analysis and policy guidance as a DoD contractor to the Missile Defense Agency.

As a leadership instructor at the CIA, Michael pursued his passion of preparing officers to make the transition from front-line worker to first-line supervisor, serving as the course director for the analysis directorate’s aspiring manager program. Michael also worked one-on-one delivering coaching and upward feedback and facilitated sessions for larger groups on strategic planning, structured analytic techniques, and team-building. He became a Certified Professional Energy Leadership Coach at the Institute for Professional Education in Coaching (iPEC), is certified in Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MTBI) Steps I and II, CliftonStrengths (formerly Strengthsfinder), and iPEC’s Energy Leadership Index Assessment. He has been trained in The Arbinger Institute’s Outward Mindset, and has developed tools for clarifying and communicating values for individuals and teams.

Michael is an expert critical thinker with a data-driven approach to problem solving. He has a BS in physics from the City University of New York-Staten Island and a MA in International Science and Technology Policy from George Washington University’s Elliott School-Space Policy Institute.

He lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and three children. His main hobby is music, and he has written and released original music. Find him here: SchwartzMusic23 on Linktree.