Leader Development in Action
By Capt. Jamie McGrath, ’90, U.S. Navy (retired), director of the Major General W. Thomas Rice Center for Leader Development
I am often asked what sets Virginia Tech apart. As a product of the Corps of Cadets, my most frequent answer is that the Corps prepared me to respond during uncertainty. Cadets this semester demonstrated that same ability to respond during the Purdue football game on Corps Reunion weekend. After an initial weather delay, the pre-game festivities were cancelled and despite not rehearsing doing so from the stands, the Highty-Tighties shifted their plans and hit the first note of the National Anthem right on cue.
When the game was delayed a second time and the stadium evacuated, I watched as company first sergeants sprang into action. The Corps, all 1,200 strong, executed a calm and orderly evacuation from the stands – just as those first sergeants and other cadet leadership had walked through in contingency planning the night before. Accurate accountability was rapidly maintained as cadets filed out of the stadium and arrived in their assigned shelter locations in under 10 minutes in an orderly manner.
Cadets on the other side of campus, assigned with preparing for the alumni tailgate outside the Holtzman Alumni Center, on their own initiative brought the supplies inside the building, and working with Skelton Conference Center staff, shifted the entire tailgate enterprise to an empty banquet hall. Those cadets then pivoted to supporting the returning alumni, despite that not being their assigned tasks, with an attitude of “what can I do next to help.” The attitude of service, despite chaotic weather, permeated the Corps that day. That attitude of service turned a probable disaster into a beautiful illustration of the value of our Leader Development Program (LDP).
Over the past two years, we have worked to put into writing the Corps’ Leader Development Program. Approved by the Commandant in Spring 2023, this semester is the first with the LDP in place as one of the Corps’ governing documents, and we are already seeing its value. Commanders have embraced the LDP and used its language in their command philosophies. We have elevated the role of the regimental training officer from the S-3 staff to its own position on the regimental staff as the S-7, who has developed training objectives in line with the LDP.
Initial feedback from cadets is excellent. They appreciate the time and effort that is being dedicated to their training and making sure they are prepared for the next step in their leadership journey. We recognize that these are merely the first steps, and we are excited to see the LDP and regimental training initiatives evolve to meet the needs of this generation of leaders.
To complement the LDP, we continue to refine the material presented to cadets in their Corps leadership courses. This fall, the Rice Center partnered with Cook Counseling, Hokie Wellness and the Student Affairs Office of Inclusion and Belonging to incorporate resiliency, peer support, dignity, and respect themes throughout the first-year course.
Our sophomores incorporated additional fire team leader preparation into their course to augment the S-7 efforts, and the number of cadets enrolled in the optional junior course more than doubled. We will continue to refine this pillar of leader development alongside the training and practical elements supported by the deputy commandants and senior enlisted advisors.