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West Point Dean and Character Advisor Discuss Leadership Development

By Maj. Renee Sanjuan USMA Associate Dean for CommunicationsMarch 7, 2024

During this episode, “Character Development at West Point,” Dr. Jeffery Peterson, senior advisor to the Character Integration and Advisory Group (CIAG), draws on his 28 years of military service and role as the U.S. Military Academy...
1 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – During this episode, “Character Development at West Point,” Dr. Jeffery Peterson, senior advisor to the Character Integration and Advisory Group (CIAG), draws on his 28 years of military service and role as the U.S. Military Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Steven Gilland’s CIAG advisor as he dives into how West Point prepares cadets for leadership in modern warfare. (Photo Credit: Kyle Osterhoudt/USMA PAO) VIEW ORIGINAL
During this episode, “Character Development at West Point,” Dr. Jeffery Peterson, senior advisor to the Character Integration and Advisory Group (CIAG), draws on his 28 years of military service and role as the U.S. Military Academy...
2 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – During this episode, “Character Development at West Point,” Dr. Jeffery Peterson, senior advisor to the Character Integration and Advisory Group (CIAG), draws on his 28 years of military service and role as the U.S. Military Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Steven Gilland’s CIAG advisor as he dives into how West Point prepares cadets for leadership in modern warfare. (Photo Credit: Kyle Osterhoudt/USMA PAO) VIEW ORIGINAL
During this episode, “Character Development at West Point,” Dr. Jeffery Peterson, senior advisor to the Character Integration and Advisory Group (CIAG), draws on his 28 years of military service and role as the U.S. Military Academy...
3 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – During this episode, “Character Development at West Point,” Dr. Jeffery Peterson, senior advisor to the Character Integration and Advisory Group (CIAG), draws on his 28 years of military service and role as the U.S. Military Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Steven Gilland’s CIAG advisor as he dives into how West Point prepares cadets for leadership in modern warfare. (Photo Credit: Kyle Osterhoudt/USMA PAO) VIEW ORIGINAL
During this episode, “Character Development at West Point,” Dr. Jeffery Peterson, senior advisor to the Character Integration and Advisory Group (CIAG), draws on his 28 years of military service and role as the U.S. Military Academy...
4 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – During this episode, “Character Development at West Point,” Dr. Jeffery Peterson, senior advisor to the Character Integration and Advisory Group (CIAG), draws on his 28 years of military service and role as the U.S. Military Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Steven Gilland’s CIAG advisor as he dives into how West Point prepares cadets for leadership in modern warfare. (Photo Credit: Kyle Osterhoudt/USMA PAO) VIEW ORIGINAL
During this episode, “Character Development at West Point,” Dr. Jeffery Peterson, senior advisor to the Character Integration and Advisory Group (CIAG), draws on his 28 years of military service and role as the U.S. Military Academy...
5 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – During this episode, “Character Development at West Point,” Dr. Jeffery Peterson, senior advisor to the Character Integration and Advisory Group (CIAG), draws on his 28 years of military service and role as the U.S. Military Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Steven Gilland’s CIAG advisor as he dives into how West Point prepares cadets for leadership in modern warfare. (Photo Credit: Kyle Osterhoudt/USMA PAO) VIEW ORIGINAL
During this episode, “Character Development at West Point,” Dr. Jeffery Peterson, senior advisor to the Character Integration and Advisory Group (CIAG), draws on his 28 years of military service and role as the U.S. Military Academy...
6 / 6 Show Caption + Hide Caption – During this episode, “Character Development at West Point,” Dr. Jeffery Peterson, senior advisor to the Character Integration and Advisory Group (CIAG), draws on his 28 years of military service and role as the U.S. Military Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Steven Gilland’s CIAG advisor as he dives into how West Point prepares cadets for leadership in modern warfare. (Photo Credit: Kyle Osterhoudt/USMA PAO) VIEW ORIGINAL

“A person’s character are those traits and attributes that lead them to do the right thing at the right time for the right reason with the right emotion … it needs to happen whether they are being watched or not.” – Dr. Jeffrey Peterson, senior advisor to the Character Integration and Advisory Group (CIAG).

Tune into this inspiring episode of the “Inside West Point: Ideas That Impact” podcast at https://bit.ly/InsideWP_Character

During this episode, “Character Development at West Point,” Peterson draws on his 28 years of military service and role as the U.S. Military Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Steven Gilland’s CIAG senior advisor as he dives into how West Point prepares cadets for leadership in modern warfare.

In this episode, you will learn the following:

  1. How is West Point revolutionizing character education?
  2. How can you pair experience with reflection to build lifelong learning for character?
  3. What can we learn from historical leaders to understand the evolution of the Army as a trusted profession?

USMA Dean of the Academic Board Shane Reeves and Peterson reflect on their own careers, leadership challenges and personal development.

When asked about the best advice he ever received, Peterson stated, “It’s never too late to not do something stupid.” Tune in to hear more!

Join Reeves each month as he takes you behind the scenes to explore the applied research and cross-disciplinary work being done by the academy’s scholars. From high-energy lasers and autonomous robots to civil-military relations and ethics, “Inside West Point” goes beyond the textbook to give you a deeper understanding of the complex issues shaping the modern battlefield.

Hear directly from the experts as they make even the most complex topics accessible to a broad audience.

You can find the “Inside West Point: Ideas that Impact” podcast, as well as several other podcasts produced by West Point at https://westpointpress.com/podcasts or on your favorite podcast platform, including Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Spotify and Podchaser.

You can also follow on Instagram (@dean.usma), Facebook (Dean of the Academic Board-West Point), Threads (@dean.usma), and X (@DeanUSMA) for updates.

Learn more about the West Point Academic Program at https://www.westpoint.edu/academics.