John Covington is an inspiring and sometimes knee-slapping funny speaker with stories of his experiences as a chief executive officer and the training of his dogs. He discovered that leadership and relationship building skills required to work with dogs are exactly the same as with people.

While training the newest addition to his family, a German Shepherd named Maggie, Covington realized the correlation between dogs and people. So he began using dog training as a “laboratory” for learning leadership skills, since canines provide instant and honest feedback.  They fill roles in our lives that no one else can and teach us lessons about life.  Author John Covington has written about the lessons his dogs had to teach in his book, What I Learned about Leadership from My Dog. Covington explains that leadership includes trusting others, identifying our own shortcomings, proper focus, etc. Being a good leader does not mean shouting the loudest or throwing power around, it is about understanding and responding.

John is an avid trainer and handler of working dogs and CEO of Chesapeake Consulting. He was educated at the US Naval Academy and the University of Alabama earning a BS in Chemical Engineering. John is active in community affairs, enjoys hiking and biking.  What I Learned about Leadership from My Dog is his fifth book.