Leadership was the word at Black Rock Forest this month thanks to a group of West Point cadets and Storm King students. The two teams joined forces at the Black Rock Forest Lodge to discuss leadership in today’s globalized and diverse world. The Global Leadership Summit was organized by a group of seven cadet juniors and seniors on the afternoon of Thursday, March 29.

Cadet Ellen Dougherty and Savannah Buon ’19

The cadets, who are studying the subject of leadership in international and multicultural environments in their Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at West Point, created the event and invited Storm King students to help them gain new perspectives on topics including diversity, cultural influences and biases, and how all of these affect team-building and leadership.

Cadet Jason Isham with Chris Chang ’19, David Lu ’19, Matthew Pelton ’20, and Guy-Paul Delisfort ’20

Following an introduction by Storm King’s History Department Chair Michael Hauser and Cadet Jason Isham, who initiated the project, the cadets and students broke out into smaller groups throughout the afternoon to address the challenges both groups will face in the future as they study, work, and live in an increasingly international world. Following the break-out sessions, the students presented their conclusions to the rest of the group.

Cadet Jason Isham leading into the break-out sessions

“The input of Storm King’s students is invaluable to our project. We are very impressed by the conduct and the quality of the discussions, and the interesting perspectives provided by your students. It’s amazing to have so many cultures represented here in this room and at this beautiful location on Storm King Mountain,” explained Major Chris Chambers, who accompanied the cadets to the summit. Mr. Hauser added that both the cadets and SKS students benefited from the experience. “The diverse Storm King student body provided the cadets a lot of valuable insights for their study of leadership in a globalized world.  Of course, the cadets also served as good mentors. They’re just a few years older than SKS students and a source of helpful advice on leadership, study, and life after high school,” he explained.