Developing Character Driven Leaders

Human Beings are born to learn.??By nature, we’re adaptive.??From learning how to walk and talk as toddlers, to navigating complex, sometimes volatile environments later in life, we rely on our experience and instincts that we’ve developed over time.?

Motivating people to learn only becomes an issue when absorbing knowledge is no longer perceived as useful or enjoyable—sitting in a classroom for hours on end and poor instruction will do that. Unfortunately, with some notable exceptions--that's become our national norm.

Think about the best learning experiences you’ve had in your lifetime.??Chances are, they were guided by a great teacher who provided a fully interactive experience out of the classroom.??Of course, at our schools, we still call these “field trips.”??Often, though, our best experiences were when a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle brought us to an interesting place for the first time and opened a window to a whole new world we never knew existed.

In my own case, that happened in the Spring of 1976.??It was our nation’s Bicentennial.??My mom piled my brothers and sister into the car and drove us to see the American Freedom Train?touring the United States at the time to celebrate our nation’s 200th Birthday. The train had 26 cars, powered by three newly restored steam locomotives in red, white and blue paint scheme.??

We had the opportunity to walk through its 10 display cars, holding treasures of Americana, including?George Washington's copy of the Constitution, the original Louisiana Purchase, Judy Garland's dress from The Wizard of Oz, Joe Frazier's boxing trunks,?Martin Luther King Jr.'s pulpit and robes,?Jesse Owens' four Olympic gold medals from 1936, a pair of Wilt Chamberlain's basketball shoes, Abraham Lincoln’s top hat and chair, and even a rock from the Moon.

I never forgot that experience, and that day my interest in history became palpable.??I'm certain I wasn't alone in that revelation. More than 7 million Americans visited the train during its tour, while millions more stood trackside to see it go by.

I realize now that the reason I never forgot the American Freedom Train was because it was it was an immersive, once-in-a-lifetime experience that extended well beyond the conventional classroom lessons. Suddenly, all dimensions of our nation’s then-200 year history had come alive for a then-13 year old boy.??From that, I became interested in the lives of men and women like Jesse Owens, Martin Luther King, Judy Garland, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington and began reading about them voraciously.

Now I realize--it was experiential learning at its finest.

That experience was further reinforced a decade later during my first assignment in our Army. Our battalion was commanded by a veteran of the Vietnam War—Colonel Lester C. BUTCH STEARNS .??Colonel Stearns was a demanding leader and a consummate trainer. He announced one day that he would be bringing all of his officers on a “Staff Ride” to walk the ground where the Battle of the Bulge was fought.??

Our first stop was Luxembourg American Cemetery. In 1944, the city of Luxembourg served as headquarters for General George S. Patton's U.S. Third Army.??Standing there for the first time, we suddenly found ourselves at the final resting place of General Patton, looking out over the deep formation of crosses and Stars of David where 5,070 service members lie--many of whom lost their lives in the Battle of the Bulge and in the advance to the Rhine River.??

The next day, we walked through the lush forests blanketed in snow, just as American GIs found them in that harrowing winter of 1944 – 1945.??We stood at the intersection of St. Vith and Bastogne, where American tankers and paratroopers fought off repeated, savage German attacks.??

We stood in the same building where General Anthony McAuliffe, the acting commander of the 101st Airborne Division in Bastogne delivered his one-word reply to a German surrender ultimatum: "Nuts!"??Seared into all of our minds was visiting the site of the Malmedy Massacre, where 84 American POWs were executed by soldiers of the Waffen SS

During that 5-Day Staff Ride, we all experienced something well-beyond a simple history lesson, or exercise in leadership theory--instead, it was a transformational event that effectively delivered us from theory to practice.?Interactive conversations that dealt with values, ethics and leadership were integrated throughout. At each stop, we actively discussed not only what happened, but why.??We talked about the people involved, and the decisions they made. It was unlike anything I’d ever previously experienced—at once memorable and meaningful, while also since proving time and again to have enduring value not just professionally, but personally.

The Battle of the Bulge Staff Ride experience was seared into our collective memories. Nearly 40 years later, many of us are still talking about it!

Whether it was the American Freedom Train or a Staff Ride to Bastogne, I mention each of them, because they are a simple illustration of how we learn most effectively.??With the right lessons and the right environment, I found that we all can become better leaders when we use these experiential learning opportunities to progress from being naturally adaptive (where we simply cope), to being generative (where we not only adapt, but create and grow).

No matter what station or phase we are at in life, our goal should be to become character-driven leaders who are committed to doing the right thing, in the right way, for the right reasons--another great leader and friend who frequents the Gettysburg Battlefield, Lt. Gen. Benjamin Freakley USA, Retired , defines character driven leadership in that way.

As leaders of corporations, non-profits, or military organizations--and as parents--each of us has an unprecedented opportunity to provide deeply meaningful experiences for those whom we lead. Walking the sands of Omaha Beach in Normandy, standing on Little Round Top in Gettysburg, touching the headstones of our fallen at Arlington National Cemetery…what you find through those experiences, is that your life gains more depth by simply “Being There.”

P.S. Today, as we approach the 250th anniversary of America's independence ("Semiquincentennial") on July 4, 2026--wouldn't it be great to revive the American Freedom Train and it's tour nationwide?