2025 Concordia Annual Summit

Tomorrow’s Leaders, Today’s Voices: A Conversation with West Point Cadets

  • Democracy, Security, & Geopolitical Risk
Frank Luntz, Benjamin Dunn, Miles Manney, Jillian Pennell, William Plank, William Greenway, Sam Mulvey

Session Summary

Important
Quotations

"Ultimately, my desire to attend West Point and serve in the Army stems from an immense passion I have for being an American. I was taught from an early age that because this country has given me so much, I owe an obligation to give back."
Benjamin Dunn
"My reason's not as noble as Ben's. I came for the free college. But West Point actually taught me the value of service."
Miles Manney
"I couldn't imagine being satisfied with completing a task in a way that didn't uphold my character. We have this sort of mutual trust and a character instilled in us, so that when we are in more dire situations or more pressing decision-making processes, we have a foundation we don’t even have to think about."
Jillian Pennell
"My desire to serve, as cliché as it sounds, comes from a genuine wish to help people."
William Plank
"I came to West Point because my brother always told me, ‘If you want to serve the same way I did, you should go to West Point,’ because the best officers he served with in the Army came from there."
William Greenway
"I came to West Point because I was inspired by the ideals set out in Plato’s Republic, being educated through physical training, mental readiness, and academic pursuit."
Sam Mulvey

Key
Takeaways

  • Values-Driven Leadership in Uncertain Times: The cadets demonstrated that effective leadership during crises requires a foundation built on unwavering principles. They emphasized that leaders must uphold both legal and ethical standards, choosing “the harder right over the easier wrong” even under pressure. This principle becomes particularly crucial when addressing mis- and disinformation, as leaders must model integrity rather than simply combat false narratives.

 

  • Breaking Echo Chambers for Informed Decision-Making: Military leaders stressed the importance of avoiding insular thinking by actively seeking diverse perspectives from both superiors and subordinates. This approach enables leaders to operate with fuller information (moving from 80% to 90-95% of available data), which is essential for navigating complex geopolitical risks and making sound policy decisions.

 

  • Character Development as a Systematic Process: The discussion revealed that leadership character isn’t innate but developed through consistent practice of small, disciplined actions – exemplified by the simple act of making one’s bed each morning. This systematic approach to character building, reinforced by the West Point Honor Code (“A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, nor tolerate those who do”), creates the foundation for ethical decision-making in high-stakes situations.

 

  • Constitutional Commitment Over Political Allegiance: The cadets emphasized that their oath is to the Constitution rather than to any individual leader or government. This constitutional framework provides stability and continuity that transcends political divisions, offering a model for how democratic institutions can maintain legitimacy during periods of incumbent rejection and political turbulence.

 

  • Service-Oriented Optimism Despite National Pessimism: While acknowledging that Americans are predominantly negative about the country’s direction (two-to-one according to polling data), the cadets maintained profound optimism rooted in their commitment to constitutional values and service to others. Their perspective suggests that engaging underrepresented voices in service roles could help restore faith in democratic institutions.

Action
Items

  • Cross-Sector Character Development Programs: Partner military academies with civilian universities, implement honor codes and peer accountability in government training, and establish mentorship networks emphasizing service over self-interest.

 

  • Combat Information Silos: Mandate diverse stakeholder consultation, enable upward and downward communication within agencies, and develop technology platforms for transparent interdepartmental information sharing.

 

  • Constitutional Literacy Programs: Launch nationwide civic education emphasizing constitutional principles, train public servants in constitutional frameworks, and create public-private partnerships to promote awareness through technology.

 

  • Service-Oriented Leadership Pipeline: Connect military veterans with civilian leadership roles, establish civilian service academies, and create exchange programs to share leadership best practices across sectors.

 

  • Multi-Sector Cooperation Against Extremism: Institutionalize coordination between military, technology, and civil society, run joint training programs, and deploy AI-assisted early warning systems to counter disinformation and violent extremism.

 

  • International Democratic Resilience Networks: Partner with allied nations on leadership development, share character-based training models, and build multilateral frameworks to address disinformation while protecting democratic values.

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