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Why Listen:
It is always intimidating speaking with a flag officer. That said, General Caslen made it so easy. He's such a gracious man. He served for over 43 years in the military, including being Superintendent at West Point. He was at the Pentagon on 9/11. He snuck back in to assist with fighting fires and ensuring that his colleagues were safe. He has no shortage of unbelievable experiences in the military. After the military, he went on to become the president at the University of South Carolina leading at the highest level in a civilian capacity. We cover a lot of ground. We talked about mistakes he made in his transition out of the Army. You've heard them before, but it's reassuring to hear them from someone at his level. We talk about the differences and similarities between military and academic leadership. We talked about what it was like leading the University of South Carolina through COVID-19 and his recent resignation from the school. There are some great takeaways here for anyone aspiring to lead at a high level. We also talk about being out of your comfort zone and being willing to fail, make mistakes, and to recover.
About Robert:
Robert Caslen is the former President of the University of South Carolina and the President of the University of South Carolina system, as well as the 59th Superintendent of the US Military Academy at West Point. He also serves as HigherEchelon Special Advisor on Executive Leadership and Character Development. He served in the United States Army for 43 years.
Selected Resources:
Robert’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-caslen-234651/
Robert’s website: https://www.robertcaslen.com/home
The Character Edge by Robert Caslen: https://www.amazon.com/Character-Edge-Leading-Winning-Integrity/dp/1250259088
Time Stamps:
Robert’s background [3:20]
How Robert remained nourished and refreshed [6:39]
Getting through loneliness [9:13]
9/11: That day in the Pentagon [11:59]
Robert’s transition out of the Army [18:05]
Similarities and differences in building a military operational staff versus an academic one [21:39]
Leading the University of South Carolina through COVID-19 [27:15]
Coping with the ugliness of social media [33:42]
Robert resigned as the president of the University of South Carolina [35:34]
Why is taking ownership so important for a leader? [40:48]
The ability to build teams is tremendously important for leaders [45:55]