West Point Way of Leadership

This book has been selected by the West Point Society of the Lehigh Valley for presentation to winners of our Dwight D. Eisenhower Leadership Award. This award is presented to high school juniors selected for their achievments in academics, athletics, community service, and leadership. It is an explanation of how leadership is practiced and taught at WEst Point.

In his book, the West Point Way of Leadership, Larry Donnithorne has reached across a variety of constituencies explain a way of leadership that can be successful not only in the military, but in the boardroom, the classroom, and in the higher education arena. With thought provoking insight, Mr. Donnithorne makes West Point and the leadership style taught there a common ground for anyone seeking to improve their leadership abilities. A great read, clear concise language, wonderful organization.

As a Marine Sergeant in the reserves, I'm always looking for ways to improve my ability to lead and manage people. This book, through the traditions of the U.S. Military Acadamy, takes you through the many levels of leadership and responsiblity from the subordinate to the CEO/General. The principles in this book isn't just for military-types, like myself, but for the civilian, who in their daily jobs must deal with all sorts of people from different walks of life and make them work together to accomplish the goals of the company to succeed in business. As for fellow Marines I recommend this book. It's short and sweet. The chapters are divided into levels dealing with different levels of leadership, some of which are not dealt with in the MCI 7000/8000 courses. Don't let the fact that its an "Army" book fool you. Leadership principles still apply no matter where you're coming from. SEMPER FI

The West Point Way of Leadership by Col. Larry R. Donnithorne (USA, Ret.) Outstanding book! The military academies believe that leadership is a learned skill. The teaching of this skill is a serious business because the decisions of military leaders will literally affect the lives of others. This author provides valuable insights into the lessons West Point attempts to instill in their leadership trainees that is transferrable to all organizations. West Point has graduated more known leaders than Harvard Business School. West Point graduates include leaders of industry as CEOs of Coca-Cola, General Dynamics, Sperry Corporation, and Du Pont Chemical. Other West Point graduates became Presidents of colleges/universities, Columbia University, Walden University, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of California at Berkeley, and College of Ablemarle, to name a few. Still other trainees who have made a difference include: Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, Douglas MacArthur, Omar Bradley, George Patton, Maxwell Taylor, and Norman Schwarzkopf. All leaders, whether military or corporate, share common goals: build a committed work force, makes use of each subordinate's talents, excel in times of stress, crisis and danger, and foster competition and cooperation to raise a group's energy level. Submitted by Freda Turner, Ph.D. ([email protected]), Jacksonville, Florida

"The West Point Way of Leadership" contains valuable lessons for organizational leaders in business and civic activities as well as the military. Readers of Stephen R. Covey's "Principle-Centered Leadership" will recognize the importance of "leaders of character," the development of which is the U.S. Military Academy's primary mission. -William A. Levinson