West Point February 2026

This is a short video that contains some highlights of a my recent visit to West Point. I hope it conveys some sense of the responsibility and gratitude I feel when on those hallowed grounds and addressing the faculty and students of the Academy.

I posted the following on LinkedIn on February 13th... the morning of the visit..

I’m heading back to United States Military Academy today to deliver two lectures on performance.

One on right-brain thinking (creativity, instinct, pattern recognition, adaptability under pressure.)
The other on left-brain thinking (structure, discipline, decision architecture, deliberate preparation.)

I’ve spoken at West Point many times. You might think it would start to feel routine.

You would be wrong.

Every time I arrive on those grounds overlooking the Hudson, I’m reminded of the weight of the place; and the leaders who once walked there as young cadets.

Grant, Eisenhower, Patton, MacArthur, and Schwarzkopf Jr.

History is not abstract at the Point. It feels present.

And then I think about other heroes whose names many Americans may not immediately recognize... but should.

Henry H. Arnold, James M. Gavin, Harold K. Johnson

Men who demonstrated courage and character. Men who represent something larger than themselves.

When I speak about performance at West Point, I’m not speaking about optimization in the abstract.

I’m speaking about clarity under stress.
Decisiveness when lives are on the line.
Humility in leadership.
Cognitive dominance when chaos tries to take over.

Right brain.
Left brain.

Instinct and structure.
Creativity and discipline.

Elite performance is never one or the other. It’s the integration.

Every time I stand before those cadets, I feel the same thing:

Gratitude.

Because the young men and women in those seats are preparing to shoulder responsibilities most of us will never fully understand.

I’m humbled by the invitation.
I’m honored by the trust.

And I promise to give them my very best... just as they commit to giving their very best for all of us.