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Leadership Insights – Quotes

"The first person you must lead is you!"

Brigadier General (Retired) Rebecca Halstead, USMA 1981 and TLDG Senior Advisor

"Can talent be developed or is it something you are born with?"

Robert Morris II, Ph.D., TLDG Faculty

"Decision making is not what you decide, it is how you decide."

Colonel (Retired) Heidi Graham, Ed.D

"Your legacy is the people you develop. Have you developed the future?"

Colonel (Retired) Patrick Sweeney, Ph.D., USMA 1982

"As strategic leaders, your life will increasingly be about the WHAT and WHY, not the HOW."

Major General (Retired) Stephen Layfield, USMA 1978 and TLDG Senior Advisor

"Development is the expansion of the framework a leader uses to view the self, others and the world."

Colonel (Retired) Patrick Sweeney, Ph.D., USMA 1982

"Intercultural competence is building a meeting place where you can bring your culture to meet the other's culture."

Scott E. Womack, Ed.D., USMA 1986 and TLDG Applied Academics Faculty

“Fusion of heart and mind and selfless action for the betterment of others to effectively accomplish the mission and make a difference.”

Brigadier General (Retired) Rebecca Halstead, USMA 1981

"We can choose to become a leader others want to follow. Leadership is a transformational journey, one of refinement and distillation."

Donna McAleer, USMA 1987 and TLDG Keynote Speaker

"There is no room for being negative, cynical, or depressed if we are going to lead. Thoughts like that should be kept to one’s self. They tend to bring down the team and drain organizational energy. Instead, leaders must stay positive and be a source of energy for others".

Colonel (Retired) Tom Magness, P.E.; USMA 1985 and TLDG Applied Academic Faculty

"The fear of failure is the main factor that prevents people from taking risks, which is unfortunate. I think it's good to fail at times. When you don't achieve the goal you set out for yourself, you can still learn from that experience."

Alison Levine, Adventurer, Explorer & Mountaineer; TLDG Keynote Speaker

‎"Sometimes, the decisions a leader makes can (and should be) made from the gut (instinct) or the heart (emotion). However, complex, multi-objective, "systems" decisions should include a formalized decision process to develop and analyze a set of alternatives; then implement the solution that provides the greatest value."

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) John B. Willis, TLDG Applied Academics Faculty

"Integrity is non-negotiable."

Lieutenant General (Retired) Frank Kearney, USMA 1976