The Allegacy Center for Leadership and Character sponsored Senior BEM major Matthew Facchine to attend the 2025 US Naval Academy Leadership Conference. Matthew brought home a number of key takeaways about being an authentic leader.
“I came to learn that authentic leadership didn’t just mean being who you are as a leader, but also helping people around you understand who you are, and who they are as well.”
“In one of my breakout rooms, one of the key moments that I was able to take away was a line that someone used: They don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care. This was a very interesting theme for me to think about when it came down to relationship building and being an authentic leader.”
The conference provided Matthew with the opportunity to hear from many different people, from a former CEO of Pepsi, to a Navy Seal turned astronaut. “So many different experiences, and time and time again, I heard not only to be who you are as a leader, but to build those up around you and help them understand what you expect of them, and what they should expect of you.”
“Overall I had an amazing experience at this conference, learning more about what it takes to be a leader for those around you, and for the future.”