Courtesy SaratogaPhotographer.com
By Rod Bacon
One of the most effective ways to learn something is to immerse yourself as completely as possible in the subject.
Battlefield Leadership, under the guidance of President and CEO Col. (Ret.) Kevin W. Farrell, Ph.D., provides total immersion leadership programs based in history throughout the United States and several sites overseas. Clients attend multiple-day seminars at locations where some of the most significant military decisions were made, influencing the destinies of the people at the locations in which they occurred. Based on the traits of Character, Courage, and Competence, facilitators use the lessons of history to prepare attendees for leadership positions in their companies.
One example is the Saratoga Leadership Experience, in which participants visit the historic battlefield and study the event considered the turning point of the American Revolution. Case studies of Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates, Maj. Gen. Philip Schuyler, and Sir William Howe are used to illustrate key leadership lessons that show attendees how to seize the initiative, align a complex organization, overcome adversity, and defeat complacency.
As with all the organization’s offerings, this two-day program is facilitated by a leader with extensive knowledge of the subject. Chief Operating Officer Adrienne M. Harrison, Ph.D., holds a doctorate in Early American History and has written extensively on subjects related to the American Revolution. She is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point who has spent 20 years as a military leader and private sector executive.
The leadership qualities of a cross section of historical figures are highlighted in other on-site experiences offered. These include patriots at the Alamo, Antietam, the Boston Campaign, Chickamauga, Cowpens, Gettysburg, the Hudson Valley, Pearl Harbor, and Washington’s Crossing.
Overseas seminars explore the events at Malta, Normandy, the Battle of the Bulge, Vimy Ridge, Waterloo, and the entry of the United States into World War I.
There are two Experiential Programs: Held in Dearborn, Michigan, The American Innovation Experience looks at great business “disruptors” like Henry Ford, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Cornelius Vanderbilt and the Wright Brothers. Another experience, held in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, focuses on the Wright Brothers and includes Glenn Curtiss, and Otto Lilienthal.
Venue-Based Experiences examine how Charleston, South Carolina, played a role in both the Revolutionary and Civil War periods. The Lincoln Experience in Springfield, Illinois, studies the influence the 16th president had on history. The National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas, is the site of a study of how the actions and decisions of key leaders shaped the outcome of World War II in the Pacific. Finally, the Space Race Experience highlights the influence people like Neil Armstrong and John F. Kennedy had on making the United States a leader in space exploration.
An offering entitled Championing Diversity & Inclusion: The Integration of Professional Baseball, held in Cooperstown, New York, tells the story of the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers and how Pee Wee Reese supported his teammate Jackie Robinson, the first black player in the major leagues’ modern era.
The Hidden Figures Experience focuses on the African-American women at NASA–Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson–who were instrumental in the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit.
There are also Battle-Based, Leader-Based, and Theme-Based workshops, which are shorter than the on-site experiences but still provide extensive information about military leaders, historical figures, and events that had significant influences on world history.
The Open Enrollment programs allow interested parties to get a taste of what the company offers. Currently, there are two on the schedule; one in Gettsyburg, Pennsylvania, set for July 23-25, and the other in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on November 5-7.
“Open enrollment programs are available for individuals and small teams to sign up for,” said Harrison. “The difference is that with a mix of participants, they don’t get the customization that we provide to clients who contract with us for their own program, but for individuals and small teams who would not otherwise be able to experience one of our programs, it still is a life changing experience.”
For those looking for an intensive experience there is the Leadership Journey, a 12-18-month program that includes multiple experiential seminars and continuous engagement with facilitators and the team.
There is also an extensive roster of keynote speakers that can be booked by clients as well as executive coaching services provided by people from the top ranks of Fortune 100 companies.
The military historians, all of whom are West Point graduates, have served in the military and have extensive knowledge of the subjects they present. These include Kevin Farrell, Steve Barry, Pilar McDermott, and Adrienne Harrison.
“We assign facilitators based on historical expertise and best industry fit/expertise for the client,” Harrison said.
The primary business facilitators, who come from a range of backgrounds, are Mike Chibbaro, Jim Czupil, Tim Reese, and Dianne Falk.
To learn more about how Battlefield Leadership can help your company become the best it can be go to battlefieldleadership.com.