University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
The West Point Way of Leadership
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The West Point Way of Leadership

Larry Donnithorne
Doubleday Broadway, 1993
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Editorial Rating

7

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  • Applicable

Recommendation

The United States Military Academy (USMA) in West Point, New York, has graduated presidents, generals and corporate leaders. Although its military tradition and patriotism are pivotal to West Point’s purpose, developing leaders is the focus of its mission and curriculum. Since 1802, West Point has been turning out young men and, in more recent years, young women, who are prepared to fill leadership positions in the U.S. Army immediately and who are trained to be leaders for the rest of their lives, in business, philanthropy or the military. Cadets receive a world-class education that includes an intense leadership curriculum designed to transform them into leaders and outstanding moral exemplars. Here, West Point grad and former teacher Col. Larry R. Donnithorne (Ret.) details what the USMA’s leadership training involves, how it is structured and how it meets its goal. He may make you envy the young students who are getting such a thorough grounding in how to lead. Donnithorne will hold your interest as he conveys the meaning and merit of West Point. If you want to learn about leadership – military or civilian – getAbstract recommends this overview from a dedicated West Pointer.

Summary

The Business of Building Leaders

Since 1802, the U.S. Military Academy (USMA) at West Point has been in the business of developing strong, effective, inspirational leaders, not only for the U.S. Army but also for civic and corporate life in America. This training is based on the conviction that the core concepts of leadership go beyond the subject matter that pertains to any particular professional field.

Military officers must know the inner workings of the Army just as corporate officials in manufacturing or directors of government agencies must be experts in their industries. Across every field, the core concepts that govern the way leadership functions remain the same. West Point’s leadership training covers military expertise, but it also focuses on building character. The graduate is supposed to be trustworthy in all situations, including those fraught with peril. Leaders from West Point are trained in both of these arenas:

  1. A leader must have the necessary expertise, “knowledge, skills, methods and techniques” for his or her industry or area, be it military operations or manufacturing or medicine.
  2. A leader must develop outstanding...

About the Author

West Point graduate Col. Larry R. Donnithorne (Ret.) taught economics, leadership and moral philosophy at West Point. He is president of the College of the Albemarle in North Carolina.

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