Posts with the ‘West Point’ tag
Painful Tests = “Someone is going to get hurt.” In a nutshell: Inflicting pain on myself or someone else is a test of character and courage. There are some decisions I make in leadership, I know are going to hurt. They may hurt me, or they may hurt others. In these situations, it may not […]
West Point. While many schools have impressive graduates. Few colleges can claim to have a greater impact on our nation than the United States Military Academy at West Point. The leaders of character that West Point continues to produce will continue to write the history of our nation. For July 4th, I provide you with […]
He was tearing up! I hadn’t signed up for this type of seminar. This was not some new age self-actualization guru speaking to us. This guy was a Navy SEAL! You could hear the words get caught in his throat and see his eyes fill as he read to the audience. Everyone in the audience listened […]
“Anderson! You have to be like Gumby! Come up with a new plan and do it quick or your men will die!” These words echoed through the woods as I stood confused during my first attempt leading an infantry squad during Cadet Basic Training at West Point. The staff sergeant wasn’t going to allow me […]
I blame the movie Patton. In today’s business world, people assume autocratic, top down leadership prevails in our military and that military leaders are not prepared for the less rigid world of business leadership. This is a myth! Just like all civilian business leaders are not like Michael Douglas in Wall Street, all military officers […]
Facing us is the River of Fear, made deep and wide by our hesitations, timidity, doubts, and paralysis. Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities…because it is the quality which guarantees all others. – Winston Churchill Other than the words in this paragraph, this entire blog is taken directly from the introduction to […]
My four years at West Point began and ended at Michie Stadium. July 1, 1985 was a beautiful sunny day filled with fear and anxiety as I said goodbye to my loving parents and hello to the not-so-loving upperclassmen. The principles of leadership taught at West Point served me well as a young platoon leader […]
“I’ve seen it all. I’ve read it all. I’ve sat through more leadership seminars than you can imagine. Everything I see these days is just a repackaging of someone else’s work.” Kurt’s reaction to the company’s latest leadership initiative did not surprise Judy. In her first six months as VP of the division, she quickly […]
In 2001, the team sat in disbelief when they heard Mason was promoted into a leadership position. Now eleven years later, the four remaining people from that old team sat at a table together after dinner at another national sales meeting. Paul looked up from his iPhone, “Contrary, insubordinate, incompliant, and rebellious. According to Webster, […]
Becoming a leader of character is a process that never ends. It is a never ending road towards a destination you can never completely reach. But, leaders must take this road daily in order to grow and lead well. I had the benefit of my father, General Jim Anderson, and four years of training at West […]
