NEWS Center

Talent Summit Roundup: Creating A Culture That Never Quits
CEOs can count on one thing heading into 2020: There will be no return to business as usual. The unprecedented speed and complexity of change has created a climate in which constant disruption is the new normal. To stave off obsolescence, CEOs need a cadre of gifted leaders in their ranks who are able to see around corners, spot looming threats and identify new opportunities for growth. Read More +

Introducing THAYER Magazine - Your Ultimate Resource to Learn, Lead, and Inspire in Today's World
We are proud to share our inaugural issue of Thayer magazine with you. This beautiful magazine is an all-access guide to understanding and developing leadership and highlights the inspirational and profoundly historical landscape of West Point in New York. It is the result of a lot of hard work from our team at Thayer Leader Development Group and our publisher Hawthorn Creative, and ten years of developing leaders of characters with our valued clients. Read More +

Inspiring Leaders in Austin
Austin, Texas, with its eclectic live music scene, welcoming culture, great food, and entrepreneurial spirit, has become a hotbed for growth and innovation. On September 13, 2019, Thayer Leader Development Group, along with its Capital Factory partners, brought together over one hundred business executives and military leaders in downtown Austin to discuss how long-proven military leadership principles translate into the corporate sector to the great benefit of the team and business success. The distinguished Thayer panel shared a unique mindset shift from typical leader development concepts. There is a fundamental change happening in how leaders need to approach the nurturing and developing of talent, and the panel shared proven tools that are directly and immediately applicable in contending with daily business challenges. What has worked in the past is no longer enough for the fast pace and constantly changing environment of the future. Read More +

Fiserv, GeoStabilization and JDog Brands Honored for Support of America’s Military Veterans with 2019 Patriots in Business Award
West Point, NY, Sept. 16, 2019—Fiserv, GeoStabilization and JDog Brands were honored today as the winners of the 2nd annual Patriots in Business Award for their outstanding contributions to helping America’s veterans, active duty military and military spouses. The winning company CEOs will be honored on September 24, 2019, at the 2019 CEO Talent Summit, co-hosted by Chief Executive and Thayer Leader Development Group at West Point, NY. Read More +

HR Lessons of the US Army's Special Operations Forces
CEOs may not have the time and resources that the military has when it comes to recruiting and retaining high performers, but Lieutenant General (Ret.) Frank Kearney says there are lessons to be learned for business executives. Kearney has more than 35 years of insider knowledge into how the U.S. Army’s elite special operations forces identify, recruit, motivate and retain some of the toughest, smartest people in uniform. He spoke on this topic at the CEO Talent Summit, held in West Point, N.Y. on Sep 24-25th. Chief Executive caught up with Kearney ahead of this keynote, to talk about the biggest mistakes leaders make when letting a high performer leave their organization and more. Read More +

Why The Military Is A Model For Agile Organizations
What can organizations learn from the military when it comes to developing talent in an agile organization? Plenty, says Brigadier General (Ret.) Bernard Banks, Ph.D. Banks, who is the Associate Dean for Leadership Development at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and Faculty at the Thayer Leader Development Group, shared some of his insights into agile organizations—especially the military—with Chief Executive. Banks will be speaking on the subject at the annual CEO Talent Summit, held this year on Sept. 24-25, 2019 in West Point N.Y. Read More +

Mission First, People Always
VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) is an acronym the army uses to describe the current state of world affairs. In recent years, schools have found themselves in similar uncertain and complex times. Fiscal constraints, pressures to increase standardized test scores, and changes in political and public support have left educational affairs volatile and ambiguous. Many educators feel under attack and driven to fight for respect. Schools and educators have reached a tipping point. There have been more changes in the past 15 years to education with mandates, accountability measures, and technology than the previous 100. So, how do administrators lead through these tumultuous times? Read More +

In Training Industry - Coaching: Leading, One Person at a Time
Mission accomplishment and individual development throughout one’s career in pursuit of organizational improvement are often key differentiators in successful organizations. Coaching that leaders receive along the way plays an integral role in this development. This coaching article, written by Thayer faculty member, Colonel (Retired) Donna Brazil, Ph.D., explores how to improve your organization by taking the time to coach a high-potential employee – thereby leading one person at a time. Read More +

Mountaineer and NY Times Best-selling Author Alison Levine Receives Ellis Island Medal of Honor
Alison Levine, history-making adventurer and leadership advisor, was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor by the Ellis Island Honors Society. The Medal, which was awarded to Levine on May 11th, recognizes individuals who have made it their mission to share with those less fortunate their wealth of knowledge, indomitable courage, boundless compassion, and selfless generosity. Past medalists include seven U.S. Presidents, three world leaders, several Nobel Prize winners and countless leaders of industry, education, the arts, sports and government. Read More +

The Mission: How West Point’s Historic Thayer Hotel Was Saved
By the time Rick Minicozzi heard about the problems at the Thayer Hotel—civilian gateway to the United States Military Academy at West Point—it was almost too late. Operated and run by the government from 1926 until 1999, when it was privatized, the hotel was in existential financial distress in the wake of the global financial crisis, an aging, tattered embarrassment to the nation. Read More +

CEOs to Honor Best Companies With Veteran & Military Initiatives With Second-Annual Patriots in Business Award
WEST POINT, N.Y., May 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Chief Executive magazine and Thayer Leader Development Group at West Point today announced the second-annual Patriots in Business Award, honoring the Best American Companies with Veteran & Military Initiatives. This award recognizes outstanding businesses that lead our nation in supporting active duty military members, veterans and their families and exemplify the values of duty, honor and country through their business practices and throughout their community and industry. Through their initiatives on hiring, training, supporting, and honoring active duty, veterans and military families, these outstanding companies are the gold standard for other companies who seek to support those who serve. Read More +

Fred Malek – A Leader Among Leaders
On April 4, 2019, Mr. Fred Malek, one of our company founders, was laid to rest in the West Point Cemetery at the U.S. Military Academy (USMA). Mr. Malek was a USMA Class of 1959 graduate, one of the most dedicated supporters of West Point and the military, and an avid enthusiast of biking, hiking, and cross-country skiing. Fred embraced the importance of physical fitness. Just six months prior to his passing, he challenged the founders of Thayer to a chin-up contest. He was extremely proud of the work implementing Thayer Leader Development Group’s mission to bring West Point leadership to the world. He was truly a "Leader of Character," one of the best leaders there ever was. Read More +

In partnership with Chief Executive Group, Thayer is honored to again host the CEO Talent Summit at the Historic Thayer Hotel at West Point on September 24-25, 2019.
We’ll bring together CEOs and leading experts to discuss strategies for building high-performing organizations with a focus on talent development, retention and corporate culture. Lieutenant General (Ret.) Frank Kearney and Brigadier General (Ret.) Bernard Banks, both Thayer Faculty, will be featured speakers along with Margaret Keane (CEO, Synchrony Financial) and Doug Sieg (Managing Partner, Lord Abbett). Read More +

Thayer Leader Development Group Announced as one of the Top 40 Leader Development Companies in the World for Third Consecutive Year.
Training Industry, the expert resource for information on the business of learning, announced its annual Top 20 Leadership Training Companies List for 2019, with the Thayer Leader Development Group at West Point (TLDG) recognized for the third consecutive year in a row as a Watch List company. Training Industry continually monitors the training marketplace for the best providers of training services and technologies. Read More +

In Training Industry - Developing Leaders for 2019's Dynamic Business Environment
Over the course of its 243-year history, the U.S. Army has adapted to changes in warfare, technology, demographics, and international affairs. Adapting its leadership programs to dynamic environments has also been necessary. This article, written by Thayer faculty member, Brigadier General (Ret.) George "Barney" Forsythe, Ph.D., explores why and how the U.S. Army evolved its approach to leadership development and applications to the business context. Take a fresh look at leader development training in 2019 through the eyes of the military. What lessons can be transferred to the corporate sector? Read More +