I’m your host, Rob Pasick (Dr. Rob), a psychologist, author, and executive coach based in Ann Arbor.
Today I want to tell you about my friend and colleague, Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen. I had the good fortune to meet Thomas when he was a professor at the University of Michigan. When I had the privilege of providing coaching for Thomas, he was considering several options: leaving the University; leading a project in his area of expertise, astrophysics; becoming a thought leader about leadership and science; starting a business; and being a good father and husband. 10 years later, he has done all the above plus a few other things.
I’d like to tell you more about Thomas, but since he is a dog lover, I’m going to tell you about him through a conversation with my (imaginary) dog, Finn.
Dear Finn,
I want to tell you about a friend of mine who’s a really cool guy. If Thomas Zurbuchen were a dog, I’d say he’s part Bernese Mountain Dog—smart, loyal, dedicated, and affectionate. But he’s also got some Labrador and Husky in him. A great mix. He’s not just one thing. He’s a whole lot of good traits rolled into one.
When I asked Thomas what kind of dog he thought he’d be, he said “a Border Collie or a German Shepherd. Both are smart and loyal. The Border Collie has high energy that’s sometimes hard to channel, just like me. And the German Shepherd? Also intelligent and devoted, but they need enough exercise and social interaction to thrive.”
Whatever the breed, one thing’s for sure: Thomas is the leader of the pack.
Rest assured he doesn’t just lead for the sake of leading. He leads where it matters. In his work at NASA, he’s helped teams land helicopters on Mars, launch the James Webb Space Telescope, and even intercept asteroids to protect Earth. These aren’t just impressive accomplishments. They’re groundbreaking efforts that help us understand the very origins of the universe.
Ask Thomas about any of this, and he’ll be the first to say he didn’t do it alone. He needed a trustworthy team, a strong pack, to succeed.
He’s also a builder. During his time at the University of Michigan, he founded the Center for Entrepreneurship, a program that’s still going strong and teaching hundreds of students how to become entrepreneurs. Who knows? Some of them may end up landing on the moon. And if they need an older astronaut, I might even volunteer—assuming weightlessness helps my leg. Of course, I’d bring you along, Finn.
You might expect someone like Thomas to be all business. But you’d be wrong. He’s warm, grounded, and truly cares about people. He loves his family and supports them deeply. His daughter just graduated from the University of Michigan.
Let me tell you what kind of friend he is. This past winter, out of the blue, he called just to check in on me. Nothing urgent. He was simply being a good friend. That kind of gesture is rare. I can count on one hand how many friends do that.
He even came to Ann Arbor last week for the sole purpose of speaking at LeadersConnect, and he gave an amazing talk that blew us all away. Not quite to outer space, but close.
So, Finn, I hope you get a chance to meet Thomas—and maybe his dogs too, who I’m sure are exceptional.
By the way, when Thomas asked what kind of dog I’d be, I said I’d want to be like you, Finn. A Labrador Retriever-Loyal, fun, warm, impulsive, and smart.