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Leader of Consequence: Heeding the Call of Duty at West Point
April 12, 2011
Although Tim Trainor planned to attend the U.S. Military Academy, he didn’t intend to spend his career in the military. But during his initial five-year service commitment required by West Point, he realized that he truly enjoyed serving his country, and he never looked back.
Now a Brigadier General, Trainor (Daytime MBA ’92) has been with the military for almost 30 years. In the summer of 2010 he was appointed Dean of the Academic Board of his alma mater, and he remains an active duty officer.
“I had no idea I would be here so long,” Trainor says. “I never saw myself in academia, but I really enjoy it because I get to work with great young men and women every day, and I have a dedicated staff and faculty who pull together for a common mission.”
According to West Point’s protocol, only serving department heads are eligible to become dean, and the position generally goes to a senior department head, explains Lieutenant Colonel Everett Spain, who has known Trainor and his wife Col. Donna Brazil for about eight years.
“It is a big deal that he was chosen as dean,” says Spain (Daytime MBA ’02). “He was considered a junior department head, and he may be one of the most junior department heads to become dean.”
Trainor’s previous position was Professor and Head of the Department of Systems Engineering, which he held for four years. His appointment as dean speaks volumes not only about Trainor’s experience and leadership, but also his personal touch.
“General Trainor is an exceptionally thoughtful person and leader, and he’s never lost that,” Spain says. “I think that is key to his appointment and to his success.”
Trainor says he gained his leadership philosophy at Fuqua and on the field. At Fuqua, he says he learned how to build teams and generate consensus. Then during a peacekeeping mission in Sarajevo in 2002—after the Bosnian War—he put those skills to the test while coordinating with a NATO staff consisting of members from 29 different nations and almost as many opinions.
“I had to really listen to everyone and understand their viewpoints before I could bring them together and create consensus,” Trainor explains. “I’m very happy I had that experience, though, because it helped me to develop further as a leader, and I think I was able to make a difference in Sarajevo.”
“It has been an honor and privilege to lead others,” he adds. “At a base level, I believe that I need to be a servant leader—to serve the needs of others.”
As the 13th dean of West Point, Trainor subscribes to that same philosophy as he oversees the school’s academic program. The school offers 35 majors across many disciplines, supported by about 560 faculty members, a quarter of whom are civilian. West Point is also home to more than 4,500 undergraduate students, who are known as “cadets.” Outside of the daily logistics, Trainor’s job really comes down to serving those cadets.
“I’m here to educate and inspire our cadets,” Trainor says. “And to prepare them to serve in a complex and uncertain world.”
Trainor explains that the best part of his job has been teaching. When he can, he still teaches engineering management, systems engineering, and decision analysis. He says he enjoys being in the classroom because he’s energized by cadets’ enthusiasm and idealism. He likes to get to know students and feels a great deal of respect and camaraderie toward them.
“They came to West Point willingly, when our country was at war, and they will most likely graduate in a time of war,” Trainor says of the cadets. “I really admire them for that.”
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