School of Business Teaching Professor, Douglas C. Johnson, attended the 2025 US Naval Academy Leadership Conference along with students Allie Schmidt and Matthew Facchine. The theme of the conference was Authentic Leadership.
“It was refreshing to attend a conference that was student organized and student led where over 300 delegates from 13 countries and over 60 colleges and universities came together to share their personal experiences and diverse backgrounds as we talked about how those can be beneficial when we reflect upon authentic leadership.”
What stood out most to Dr. Johnson was the “opportunity to engage with fellow attendees during the breakout sessions where we had the chance to delve more deeply in the topics that had been discussed.”
As part of the R.E.A.L. Leadership presentation by former Navy Seal John Sanchez, attendees were encouraged to consider the idea of legacy versus legend and the 200 year plan. “This is really considering the legacy that you want to leave as a leader, and how you are going to go about making an impact that will last beyond your lifetime.”
Other former Navy Seals shared how they overcame adversity and applied that in living their authentic selves and authentic leadership. “What really inspired me during those panel sessions was how they were able to overcome physical, mental and emotional adversities and learn how to still remain true to themselves when they had to reframe or redirect how they went about leading others.”
“You may not think about authentic leadership when you’re thinking about a military setting but it applies universally in thinking about How am I going to be true to myself and help the organization advance in achieving its goals and objectives?”