Leaders of Character: West Point’s Way
Headline: West Point, The Best Public College in America — US News and World Report in 2011.
My alma mater opened in 1802 as an engineering school. In 2011 it was ranked third in the nation for undergraduate engineering, still lockstep with its 200-year-old original purpose. But at its heart, West Point is a leadership school.
The primary mission of West Point has been to provide leaders of character for our nation.
The question, “Can character be developed?” is answered every May when a new group of 1,000 second lieutenants complete four years of character development. In June of 1984, I began my journey from typical high school graduate to trained Army officer four years later. West Point changed my attitude about what the word character means.
Leaders of Character
At 18, I began to learn that little white lies are not meaningless. We continually discussed the principles of Duty, Honor and Country. Soon we began making daily decisions that paralleled our speech. Well before graduation day based on what we learned, spoke about and acted upon, we learned that a West Point graduate’s word is gold.
Our nation’s oldest (and best…Beat Navy!) military academy successfully develops character because it uses a process that recognizes the definition of character I shared in my post, Leadership Failures are Usually Character Failures.
Character:
- Begins with our thoughts.
- Our thoughts become our words.
- Our words lead to our actions.
- Our actions become habits.
- Our habits determine our character.
- Our character determines our destiny.
Discipline in our thoughts, words and behaviors shapes our character. And what often follows is a sharper, deeper impact on those we lead.
Consider:
A Cadet’s Thoughts
- For four years, West Point cadet brains are marinated with lessons related to the West Point Honor Code: “A cadet will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those who do.” This honor code is the cornerstone to character education.
A Cadet’s Speech
- Honor Code education at West Point goes well beyond reading about the philosophies and reasons behind the code. There are classes for the express purpose of discussing the topic with instructors and peers.
A Cadet’s Actions
- West Point is not about who knows the right thing to do. Nor is it about the person who can best describe the right thing to do. Actions are what the Honor Code is about.
A Cadet’s Habits
- The West Point Honor Code is not a situational system of ethics. The bar is set high by today’s standards. If you are caught in a lie, you may not graduate.
- After four years of intentional character development, West Point graduates 1,000 leaders of character dedicated to serving our nation.
- President Ulysses S. Grant, General Robert E. Lee, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, General Douglas McArthur, General Norman Schwarzkopf, General David Petraeus … this partial list of famous West Point graduates is proof that their system works.
What Can West Point Teach Us?
1. My Thoughts: What am I filling my head with? Do I read books that espouse the virtues of a leader of character?
- We must fill our minds with information from sources that reinforce the character traits we wish to develop (i.e. The Bible, Leadership books, and biographies of virtuous people).
- At the same time, we must capture the ugly and evil thoughts that enter our heads and refuse to allow them to take residence there.
2. My Speech: What do I talk about with my friends? Does my organization regularly discuss topics like integrity and trust?
- Speak positively about others. Avoid spending time with people who are characterized by situational ethics and “little lies.” Find people who live in a manner worth emulating and spend time with them.
3. My Actions: Are my actions consistent with my virtuous words? Do others see my actions consistent with my words?
- I have a quote on my business card and website from Benjamin Franklin: “Well done is better than well said.” Do what you say you believe.
4. My Habits: What is my habitual way of operating? Do I occasionally lie and still think of myself as a person of integrity?
- Start new habits with everyday small decisions. Soon those small decisions will become a habit. When you are faced with a big decision, you will be in a habit of making the right choice.
5. My Character: What type of character do I believe I display? What type of character would others say I display?
- If we become the leaders of character our companies, our families and our world so desperately need, we have changed our destiny.
- My destiny, the destiny of my organization, and the destiny of my children are primarily influenced by the character each of us possesses.
The Bottom Line:
Character is our habitual way of operating. If our habits include acting with integrity, courage, and humility, I believe we will become the leaders of character worth following.
Question:
When was the last time you focused on this part of your life? What does your organization do to develop the character of its members?
Wow, Dave. Well-written. Great principles applicable to any business setting. Thanks.
Thanks Judie. Looking back that many years makes you realize how much it still influences my thought process.
Excellent job, Dave! Short, concise and to the point on just what character is and how West Point helped build it in those of us who survived plebe year and went on to make an impact in the military and the Corporate World. Well done, My Friend.
Thanks Marc!
I appreciate the feedback. I am looking to make a difference in multiple organizations through consulting, speaking and training on these concepts.
I’d appreciate you sharing this with those who might be interested.
Dave
Dave, Very nice. It does capture the essence of life there, and after. It would bode well for most businesses and leaders to take this to heart as well. As a person in the defense industry, I often find myself correcting a co-worker (almost used peer, but that would be incorrect) on information they just told a customer, that was not fully truthful. We need to have honesty and integrity in business to succeed in the long term.
Jeff,
Been there and done that way to often Jeff. I appreciate your comments and hope you will keep checking in and commenting on other posts.
Beat Navy.
Dave
Well said Dave. It is always difficult to state what USMA teaches us. You did a fine job. Hopefully you will be able to share with others the character traits learned so well almost twenty five years ago!
Know need to bring in the age thing Pat.
Thanks for the encouragement. I hope it is something I will have the opportunity to spread to multiple organizations and help them develop their leadership character.
Dave
Dave – I’ve been waiting all day to read this and just got a chance to sit down. 🙂 You are on point with respect to the key ingredients that have to be present in the recipe if one is going to build and maintain character. Also similar to what Patrick stated, I often find it difficult to describe the WP expertise to someone who asks and has no reference point. I will point them to this as a starter. 🙂 Nicely done and keep sharing your thoughts.
Thanks Charlie. I appreciate you checking this out and providing feedback. Keep coming back and leaving comments. I need people like you to keep making me better.
Very nicely done Dave! You explained the process in a very simple and concise manner. These principles govern our lives. Keep spreading the word! We need more people to embrace these ideals. Finding people that are of good character these days in the business world keeps getting harder. Too many are self serving, not caring for any one but themselves… becoming people who often lie, cheat, and steal from “no one” i.e. their employers, insurance companies, etc., and eventually even their family and friends.
Great point Magda. It is still stealing if you do it from an organization or an individual.
How about when people steal time from an employer by cutting out early or doing personal things during work hours? Now that gets scary to think about. But, integrity is a black and white concept. Isn’t it?
Great read Dave and on target! The combination of character and competence builds trust in organizations and you can’t have only one of them; you have to have both to build the trust of the team. And when you think about it; trust is the single most important thing when it comes to any relationship; business or personal.
Covey speaks to this in his book “The Speed of Trust” and it could not be more true. The most successful teams I have lead in both the military and civilian world were succesful because of the character and competence of the leader. With the trust that character is a component of direction can be given quicker, task get done quicker, and you have buy in from the team.
I’ve also seen quite a few teams where the leader was competent; but lacked integrity – those teams could perform well for short time periods; but it was never sustainable.
Keep the blog posts coming; I enjoy them and take something away or of reminded of something that I learned long ago each time.
Thanks Bob! Great words for all of us.
I love the thought that leadership without character may succeed, but only in the short term. So true.
Dave,
Well done. This was a great way to break down the components of character in a way that anyone can grasp. I also appreciate that you are taking this mission – it is sorely needed in corporate America today. We teach Servant Leadership as our culture at 7-Eleven, but it is a journey every day to achieve. West Point has it figured out, and is doing it right.
While I’m on the subject, I should mention that my daughter, Kelsey, is a plebe this year in D-1, Class of 2015. USMA is still doing a nice job building leaders of character. I’m getting to relive Plebe year all over again! Big bites for all 🙂
Darren
Love it Darren. I remember seeing you again at the ARMY-SMU game last year and she was preparing to go swim for USMA.
I am passionate about this. Some will say I get preachy when I get on stage and get amped up! But it character determines success in life for all of us, including our kids. Sounds like Kelsey is doing great.
Thanks for the thought on this being a journey every day. I said that in a previous post.
Dave, excellent message, and very much on point. Something I like to tell the civilians and soldiers that I work with is that you CAN change your character, and you can improve your way of life. All it takes is conscious effort and practice. The key is to internalize those values so your actions become reflex. Much as the athlete trains their body to react, leaders train their minds to react to every situation.
Sometimes I think that those of us that were “ugly” came away with a better understanding of the concept of changing our character, and a better appreciation of the hard work it takes to internalize a new value and actually change for the better. That very experience gave us the ability to empathize with those subordinates who sought our council and helped to make us better leaders.
I guess what I was trying to say is that it’s our job as leaders to spot opportunities to develop our subordinate’s character. More to the point, our USMA experience in our own character transformations were invaluable as leaders in developing our subordinates.
Keep up the great discussions!
200+ years of training leaders of character must mean they are doing something right.
Thanks for the comments and sharing Shaps. Thanks for continuing to serve too.
Well said! You just don’t realize how effective the “character building experiences” we all experienced at West Point are until you put them into practice. Others notice. Integrity is extremely important. Many give it lip service. I like to say that integrity is not just telling the truth, but telling the truth when it may result in negative consequences for you. Anyone can tell the truth when they will benefit from it. BEAT NAVY!!
https://www.andersonleadershipsolutions.com/buzzword-defined-part-2-integrity/
Check out this previous post on integrity Dan. You just sum med it up well.
I had no idea how to approach this be-erofnow I’m locked and loaded.
Great job, Dave. A nice, simple distillation of a very complex (and continuing to this day!) process. I’ve been asked to speak on leadership to a group of young leaders in Fayetteville next month and I’d like to steal… I mean borrow with appropriate reference … this framework. It really is all about leadership. Strong work.
I appreciate it Ken. Share as much of this as you want. These are not my principles. They are our principles that we need to continue to share with others to make a difference.
Dave – Excellent dissertation and thank you for taking the time to discuss a topic that very much ignored these days. I have the great fortune to work with many of the young officers coming from USMA today here in Afghanistan. You will be glad to know that the cornerstone is still laid properly. Character is where it all starts – if you have, we can build from there, if you don’t there’s not much hope of success. It’s tough – especially in today’s environment – but it is possible, and USMA demonstrates this constantly…. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for continuing to serve and growing more leaders Joel. You are where the rubber meets the road in leadership.
Character is king in forming leaders. I hope to carry that flag around the corporate world while people like you and other USMA grads still serving do it in the military. God speed my friend.
Well done, Dave. I share your passion for leadership development – done day by day, not in a day. I meet with teams 3 times a week to discuss leadership qualities. It is hands down the most important thing we can do as leaders, and most companies don’t do it. Thank you for your leadership example – and allowing many others to gain part of the West Point experience.
Hugh,
Share with us what “how” you do something like this? So many leaders know the what they should do and know why they should do it. What about the “how”? I’d love to hear your ideas.
Nicely expressed Dave. Showing how character is an attribute fed by how we live, what we expose ourselves to, and how we manifest to others is enlightening. It reinforces the idea that this aspect of a person can be developed and must be maintained as much as any other (strength, fitness, weight, etc).
The other day a leader at my firm explained a decision he had just made using an elementary rationale that we had all learned and mastered years ago. I was proud of him, though. It showed two important things. One, he was making the right decision. Two, that character development is a journey. We can all begin at different times and proceed at our own pace. And we must guide one another along as we are all headed in the same direction.
Go get them Dave!
Thanks for the insights Kerry. You are right. We are all on a journey of character development. We decide through our choices where that road leads us. Each choice we make leads us to positive character development or negative character development.
The great thing is, who we are now is not who we must be later. We have a choice to become a better version of ourselves if we focus on our character development.
Dave,
Nice work and very true. I like the section where you break down character beginning with our thoughts. As Ralph Waldo Emerson put it:
We are what we think about all day long.
Thanks Shawn. There are so many great quotes out there on this topic. You just added another to my arsenal!
Dave
Dave,
A timely, well-written article that succinctly describes the foundations of character, and more importantly, challeges each of us through stewardship to help develop it in others.
I also think your article generated some great dialog among the various posts.
Great read.
Greg I appreciate the feedback. I know you are in a role that gets to see many organizations and how character, or the lack there of, impacts everything.
I truly value your opinion. Please keep checking in and sharing these posts with others. Keep the comments coming and make me better.
Dave
Nice job capturing the essence of character in such a concise manner. Your message should challenge each of us to continually re-examine our behaviors and actions. The need for character is certainly not unique to military leadership. And, discussing what defines character should not be restricted to West Point. Leadership in industry should also possess the traits you highlight in this article, as well as your other posts.
Well done, Dave.
Rich,
Thanks my friend. We all see the need everywhere. As leaders, it is our responsibility to shape this conversation and reproduce it wherever we are.
I appreciate your continued feedback on what I am putting on this site. I want to continue to get better and feedback like yours will help.
Dave
I like this article because it quickly gets after the essence of leadership development. Within Dave Anderson’s words, the reader hears echoes of Vince Lombardi’s famous assertion that “…leadership is in scrifice, in self-denial, in humility, and in the perfectly disciplined will.” This is a great primer for both individual and collective reflection.
Doug,
Another great quote! Thanks for providing that. I appreciate your words and your input. This is my passion and the passion of so many of us from USMA obviously. I hope you keep checking into the site or subscribe to get my blogs by email.
Dave
Dave – Well-written and having come from the training industry I could easily see this as seminar worthy and something companies and their leadership teams could benefit from. From an initial seminar, it could then go to situational ethics training that you could lead or their managers could, much like how our honor classes were conducted. Your text reminded me that what we feed our minds often determines our destiny – GIGO: Good stuff In, Good stuff Out – and that to have integrity and success in business and life, we quite often have to “choose the harder right over the easier wrong”. Thanks again for sharing Dave. Please sign me up for your blog.
Deke,
Thanks for the great acronym GIGO!
I am glad you are interested in getting the blog in the future via email. I will help you make it happen.
Dave
Thanks for posting this, Dave. The boundary between right and wrong has been becoming somewhat murky in our society over the past few years. However, at West Point, the boundary between right and wrong was taught as a universal law of nature. I loved that.
There is no gray! Except in our old uniforms. Truth is black and white. When I remembered to live that way and not let the gray practices of corporate america influence me, my life and my decision making got a lot easier.
Dave,
I like the article. Very well thought out and written. Military grads have a reputation and expectation to those outside of the academies, of integrity, high morals, and strong character. It speaks to the mission of the academy to create great citizens, not just great soldieres. It does not happen by accident as you so well point out. Thanks for sharing this.
Best,
Harry
Harry,
What I want to see happen is by using the formula I shared, individuals and organizations begin this type of training.
If I can be the voice screaming about this and raise awareness and desire among leaders, then I will have accomplished my mission!
Blessings!
Dave
Dave,
A friend of mine who is a coach always tells his players, “your true character is how you act when nobody’s watching”.
I’ve always thought that summed it up rather neatly.
You are what you think and how you put those dieas into action, for better or worse.
thanks for taking the time to articulate this idea…jeff
I agree 100%. That can be a sobering reality when I think about my actions at times. Thanks for checking in Jeff.
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My Best!
Dave
Dave,
Excellent article. You perfectly encapsulate what makes West Point the world’s leading leadership program. In theory, the development of leadership/character should e a pretty straightfoward exercise. You have laid out the formula – it is there for the world to see.
In reality, it takes years to forge leaders of character and very few institutions outside of West Point have been able to accomplish this. The environment in which leaders are developed does matter and this is the greatest challenge to any organization.
Alex
You are on target Alex. It takes leaders in organizations to decide this is important.
Too often I’ve heard people say they don’t have 4 years and 24/7 to do this like West Point does. That is why I hope to help provide the resources for organizations to begin the process. I want to stir discussion. I want to be a catalyst.
I hope you are well my friend!
Dave
Dave,
Well done. A couple thoughts:
1. As steeped and educated as we are in the military in leadership and organizational behavior, I still find that organizations need to be reminded about what we know to be right. In schooling, most everyone agrees with the basic tenets of how organizations should run and people should be treated. In units, not always the case, however. Much excellence, but marginal leadership, as well.
2. While in graduate school, I had many an interesting conversation with MBA classmates who believed leadership was about charisma and could not be learned. How we’ve seen educational programs, norms, and good units turn young 25-year old sergeants into great leaders! And many were not charismatic at all. After a while, you just appreciated their well-rounded leadership traits: competence, judgment, care for others, communication skills, etc. An MBA classmate of mine thought organizational behavior was a bunch of fluff–and that it was all about rewards and punishment. Too many of us have seen the power of a great leadership. People and organizations thrive in it, though it can’t be put on a balance sheet.
Enjoyed the articles and posts, Dave.
Bob
Sorry for the delayed response Bob! This blog is still getting comments months after I first posted it.
The comments about charisma and the idea that leadership can not be learned is perhaps the most common objection I get. But your experience, our experience and the 200 years of USMA proves them to be uninformed.