This episode features an interview with General Rebecca S. Halstead  ‘81, Founder and CEO of STEADFAST Leadership, a leading consultancy company she founded after serving for 27 years in the Army. She retired from the military as a Brigadier General. Becky specializes in inspirational and motivational speaking, developing leader training programs, leader coaching and mentoring. Becky has provided hundreds of keynote speeches and leadership training to the corporate and academic sectors at both national and international engagements. 

Becky entered West Point in 1977 with just the second class of women, and was the first person from her hometown to graduate from the academy. She was also the first female graduate of West Point (‘81) to be promoted to General Officer in 2004. Becky served and commanded in combat as the first female Commanding General at the strategic level of leadership in Iraq. In 2007 she received the National Women’s History Project award for “Generations of Women Moving History Forward”.

In this episode of the WPAOG Network Podcast, Becky talks about how she enjoys being a leader and why she sees herself as a role model for both men and women. Becky explains how her time at West Point and in the military provided her with many important skills and experiences that are transferable to the work she does today advising businesses on how to be better. She also gives insight on some of her proudest moments in the military and why it is important to be an honest, open, and direct mentor to help others succeed in the military and life thereafter. 

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"You should be comfortable wanting to surround yourself with really good people. I mean, I worked for some bosses who they were intimidated by other people that were good and I'm like, I pray to be surrounded by great people, right? Like, I mean, I'm not intimidated by other people being better, smarter, faster than me. I want them on my team. But I also want people on my team that think differently, you know, I don't want my team to look just like me. And I had a great boss who said to me, just don't surround yourself with little Becky Halsteads. I was like, what's wrong with little Becky Halstead sir, you know? And he says, you think about it, you'll figure it out. And then I did. Because you know, if I were to just choose all women to work for me and you know, all white women to work for me, then I wouldn't get the diversity of thought and experience and culture and all the rest of that. So it's like no pick people who think differently than me to surround me to challenge my thinking, to challenge our way ahead, you know, and then I have to be wise enough and smart enough to discern what's best if I'm the one that's in charge to move us forward." - BG (R) Rebecca S. Halstead

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Episode Timestamps

(01:45) BG (R) Rebecca S. Halstead’s Background

(03:00) Deciding to attend West Point

(05:05) Experiences at the academy

(06:15) Mentorship

(10:30) Significant achievements

(13:38) Early promotions

(15:49) Being a Role Model and Leader

(18:10) BG (R) Rebecca S. Halstead’s proudest achievement

(26:15) Valuable lessons learned

(30:00) About STEADFAST Leadership

(31:10) Remaining active in the West Point community

(38:05) Transitioning leadership

(41:05) BG (R) Rebecca S. Halstead’s book

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Links

Rebecca S Halstead’s LinkedIn

Ian Faison’s LinkedIn

Ian Faison’s Twitter

West Point Association of Graduates

On Point Podcast