Leadership Lessons from West Point

FOREWORD

Jim Collins

In 2005, I had the privilege of visiting West Point for a gathering of leaders from business, social sectors, and the military. One of my hosts, a captain in the U.S. Army, had obtained an M.B.A. after graduating from West Point. "What most surprised you about business school after your West Point experience?" I asked.

"The misperceptions my M.B.A. classmates had about Army training and its relevance for leadership outside the military," he responded. He then described a debate that had erupted in one of his classes, and how one of his classmates had challenged, "In the Army, you don't really need to lead because soldiers are so well trained to follow orders."

If leadership exists only if people follow when they have the freedom ...