On Wednesday, June 2, Brigadier General Rich Gross, US Army Retired, of Thayer Leadership at West Point provided the keynote address at Jackson Walker’s Quarterly Leadership Speaker Series, where he spoke on the Top Ten Ways to Lead in the Law.
Drawing on his distinguished military service, General Gross engaged Jackson Walker’s attorneys in live storytelling and personal anecdotes that provided insight into leading through volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environments. General Gross also provided his personal leadership philosophy, which includes leaders supporting their team members by “taking all of the blame and none of the credit,” practicing macro-management, and modeling and encouraging a healthy work-life balance.
A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, General Gross has served in Afghanistan and as the Chief Legal Counsel to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) where he provided legal counsel on U.S. military operations worldwide. As Legal Counsel to the CJCS, he was the senior military member of the interagency lawyers’ group, which advised the National Security Council and cabinet-level officials on critical national security issues. General Gross was also the senior legal advisor at U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the command responsible for global security throughout the entire Middle East.
“We are grateful to General Gross and the Thayer Leadership for making this Leadership Speaker Series seminar possible, and to Casey Thomas and his team for facilitating the presentation,” said Leonard Dougal, Chair of the JW LEAD Committee. “I look forward to seeing the Firm bring in other high-profile speakers like General Gross in the future as LEAD works to provide our talented lawyers with practical tips for building their leadership skills.”
“We are grateful to General Gross and the Thayer Leadership for making this Leadership Speaker Series seminar possible, and to Casey Thomas and his team for facilitating the presentation.”
Previously, on February 26, Dean Ward Farnsworth of The University of Texas School of Law spoke during the first installment of the JW Leadership Speaker Series. The Dean spoke via Zoom on leadership and the challenges that were navigated as the School of Law pivoted to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
About JW LEAD
To help the Firm’s attorneys grow their leadership skills, Jackson Walker created the LEAD Committee to invest in the development of attorneys at all levels. Through the Firm’s Emerging Leaders Program, the JW Quarterly Leadership Speaker Series, and external leadership development programs like the Globalaw Leadership Program, LEAD facilitates career development and provides the resources needed to prepare attorneys to step into any situation and be effective leaders.
“Careers and Attorney Development at Jackson Walker“
About Thayer Leadership
Thayer Leadership, a premier executive leader development organization headquartered in West Point, New York, offers leadership experiences that blend world-class applied academic and experiential sessions to unleash the “whole leader.” Its unique approach to leadership development was founded on the Army’s leadership philosophy of “Be, Know, Do” which focuses on creating complete leaders through the development of character, knowledge, and application. Thayer Leadership’s proprietary and motivating learning approach delivers a holistic and transformational experience for participants at West Point, online, virtually, or at any location around the world.
