Leadership Academy: 3 Things West Point Teaches Cadets

After careful consideration, you’ve decided to offer your group a leadership academy rather than a conference or a summit. Great choice! By choosing the academy approach, you can combine a number of teaching methods from classes, to online learning and even on-the-job training. When all the requirements are met, your “graduates” will enjoy the accolades and a growing sense of accomplishment. A recent article in Inc describes how the military academy West Point imparts leadership lessons to their cadets. Consider offering these topical teachings at your next event.

Learn to lead by learning to follow. West Point teaches leaders must begin their careers by learning to follow. Obviously, in a military situation, that would be demonstrated by a “Yes, sir” or “No, sir” and the appropriate salute. In the workplace, teach servant leadership. Leaders must learn how to serve the people they lead.

Enhance communication skills. Your leadership academy must tackle the communication issue. How can leaders solicit the results they want? Sometimes, it’s not leadership skills that are lacking but communication. Teach your “cadets” how to communicate with angry customers and how to have those difficult talks with employees. Knowing how to handle these situations can build great leaders.

Teach your team how to make decisions–and how to put them into action. Sometimes the disconnect between making a decision and enacting it can lead stagnation. A missed opportunity is forever regretted! Follow West Point’s lead and guide your team through some decision making scenarios. Once the “decisions” have been made, give them some tips on how to put implement them. This may include adjusting software, managing orders in a new way or changing the way you handle a sale.

Even if your leadership academy lasts only a few days–or weeks, you can impart greater knowledge to your team in a powerful way. Contact us for more topical ideas for your leadership academy.