Leadership at West Point

For those of you that do not know me, this is my first year as the assistant softball coach here at Lake Land College. When Coach Nelson hired me, one of the things he stressed was that I should look at this as a "coaching internship." During my time here, not only would I be the Assistant Coach and in charge of the pitchers, but I'd also be spending time learning more about coaching by visiting several Universities and attending conferences. From these trips, I will improve my own knowledge as well as implement what I learn into the Lake Land Softball program.

I was very fortunate that Coach Nelson was able to set up my first visit to the United States Military Academy, better known to most people as West Point. My trip to West Point was not just to see the historic and beautiful campus, but to learn more about leadership. And what better place to go than an academy designed to train and prepare cadets for leadership positions in our nation's army. The mission states: "to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the Nation as an officer in the United States Army." Over the course of 47 months, cadets attend classes and earn a degree just like any other college student, but at West Point they also go through military and physical development programs. Each of these three areas: military, academic and physical affect a Cadet's rank during their 47 months. Their rank affects their branch as well as their post upon graduating West Point. Therefore, being a Corps Squad athlete is a lot different than being an athlete here at Lake Land College, or any other college for that matter. I spent one afternoon with the Cadets, going to class, back to the barracks, to formation and to lunch. I asked them some questions and I found it interesting that to them, softball isn't exactly a top priority. Not that they don't care about it, but that in a way it takes away from all of their requirements with the military, academic and physical programs. In one of my meetings with Dr. Hennelly from the Behavioral Science and Leadership department, he described it well saying that at any other university, practice is the hardest part of your day, but at West Point practice is the nicest part of your day. Like the Cadets told me, he also said that Corps Squad athletics take away from something else. During my visit I spent time with many people including: Michelle DePolo (Head Softball Coach), Kate Stake (Assistant Softball Coach), Second Lieutenant Sarah Yates, Cadet Jennifer Parsons, Cadet Jennae Tomlinson, Command Sergeant Major Mahoney, Joe Sottolano (Head Baseball Coach), Dr. Hennelly(Head of the Management and Leadership programs in the Behavioral Science and Leadership department), Lieutenant Colonel McElrath, and Jeff Coleman from CEP (Center For Enhanced Performance). My time with each of them was beneficial, as they all shared with me their take on leadership from their perspective.

The basic questions that I asked about leadership were:

1. What are the qualities you look for in a leader?
2. How do you go about trying to develop leaders here?
3. Is there a difference in business(or athletics) and military leadership?
4. What is the most important aspect of leadership?

Here is what I learned about good leaders:

• They have strong character and are competent.
• They are team-oriented, rather than self-oriented.
• They do more than asked of them and they perform at higher standards.
• They exhibit self-sacrifice.
• Integrity is non-negotiable and flexibility is important - being able to admit one's mistakes.
• They know their people and invest in them.
• They are humble and they lead by example.
• They have the passion and desire for whatever they need to do.
• Communication is key.
• They have good time management skills - the ability to separate what's important and what isn't.

Dr. Hennelly stated that leadership is a sub-set of management and that the key is to get people to do things and exceed expectations without asking them to do so. He also stressed the importance of the leader understanding the follower and vice-versa. The follower must know what the leader's expectations are and in return the leader must understand what the follower is willing to do. When I asked about any suggestions to become a better leader, Dr. Hennelly recommended getting a leadership mentor and developing a social network.
At West Point, the Cadet honor code states that "A Cadet shall not lie, cheat, or steal or tolerate those who do." I found it interesting when Command Sergeant Major Mahoney shared a story with me about Cadets turning themselves in after breaking a rule. He also stressed that as a leader, one must understand that everyone is different and therefore should be treated differently. Giving equal rewards for un-equal performance is bad. Command Sergeant Major Mahoney shared with me, the importance of keeping subordinates' level of motivation up as their level of competence grows. He used an example that upon arrival at West Point, most cadets have a high level of motivation but their competence is low, and as they learn more and become more competent, they sometimes lose their motivation. It is important to find a way to train without crushing motivation.
Upon arriving at West Point, I heard good things about the baseball program and how the baseball players conduct themselves. In my meeting with the Head Baseball Coach, Joe Sottolano, I was impressed with his organization and how clear his expectations are for every aspect of the program. When I asked Coach Sottolano about leadership, the characteristics he stressed most were trust and communication. He emphasized the ability to admit mistakes and not trying to be someone you are not. Another thing that really stuck out to me was the idea to "practice better than Texas." What Coach Sottolano meant by that was, respect your opponents and the fact that they work hard, but then work harder. Trust in your preparation.
Lieutenant Colonel McElrath shared with me the importance of leaders knowing what they want to get accomplished, staying focused, and being clear on their expectations of others. He said that leaders should be passionate and emotional but stay poised and don't be afraid to make hard decisions. It is important to invest time in knowing the individuals that you lead; learn their motivation. When I asked about the most important characteristics of a good leader, Lieutenant Colonel McElrath responded that you are never successful without trust, confidence and respect from those you are leading.
In my meeting with Jeff Coleman from Center for Enhanced Performance, he shared with me what both individuals and teams have available to them through the Performance Enhancement Program. It is described as "the nation's most comprehensive training program for learning, practicing and mastering the intangible mental skills that underline human performance; confidence despite setbacks, concentration amidst distractions, and composure under stress." Those who take advantage of this amazing program learn to master the five mental skills: building confidence, goal setting, attention control, energy management, and integrating imagery. Jeff showed me some of the training techniques and the technology available to all the Cadets at West Point. Jeff explained to me how the body responds better to images than words and the importance of integrating imagery to one's training.
I cannot stress enough how amazing the whole experience was and how grateful I am to be given this opportunity. From what I learned on my visit to West Point, the thing I would most like to implement here at Lake Land is better communication through setting clear expectations and defining goals. I look forward to continuing my initial growth as a college coach over these next few months as well as sharing my experiences with all of you.

For Love of the Game,

Coach Birk