Frances Hesselbein, transformational leader, Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient and former Class of 1951 Chair for the Study of Leadership in the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership (BS&L) at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, passed away peacefully on Dec. 11, 2022, at her home in Easton, Pennsylvania. She was 107 years old.
Hesselbein was born in South Fork, Pennsylvania, in 1915 and lived more than half of her life in nearby Johnstown, Pennsylvania. She often described this community as “big coal, big steel, big hearts” and credited it with developing her appreciation for the inherent worth of all people and preparing her for a lifetime of service. Following years as a Girl Scout troop leader and United Way volunteer, Hesselbein accepted her first paid job in 1970, directing the regional Girl Scout Council in Western Pennsylvania. Six years later she was invited to New York City to interview for the CEO role of a declining national organization — a position no internal candidate had ever held in over 50 years.
Figuring she had nothing to lose, Hesselbein told the hiring committee that the Girl Scouts needed to change if they wanted to remain relevant and described her vision to transform the organization to meet the demands of the 21st century. She landed the job.
Coincidentally, Hesselbein became the Girl Scouts USA CEO in 1976 — the same year women were admitted to the service academies. Her initiatives over the next 14 years not only created a future facing organization but also increased the leadership capacity of society immeasurably.
Among her many accomplishments include reversing a sharp decline in membership by adding over a quarter million new members and 130,000 adult volunteers; tripling underrepresented minority membership; implementing a new series of handbooks ensuring all types of girls were represented and introducing new badges for topics of growing importance including STEM, leadership and physical fitness, and instituting a professional leader development program designed by Harvard Business School.
Her success prompted leadership scholar Peter Drucker to declare her “the best leader in America” and, in 1990, she was the first woman and the first non-profit leader to be featured on the cover of BusinessWeek magazine. That same year, she stepped down from Girl Scouts and became the founding director for the Peter Drucker Institute for Non-Profit Management, subsequently named Leader to Leader Institute, and then renamed the Frances Hesselbein Leadership Institute.
She continued at the helm of this organization until it moved to the University of Pittsburgh in 2016. In 1993, President Clinton awarded Hesselbein the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the nation’s highest civilian honor. In 2015, Fortune named her 37th on its list of the world’s 50 greatest leaders.
Following a Gettysburg field trip for private sector leaders in 1996, Hesselbein became a trusted mentor and counsel to numerous senior Army leaders. Gen. Dennis Reimer (USMA ‘62), 33rd Chief of Staff of the Army, said “Hesselbein was invaluable in helping us to understand the key considerations associated with the change the Army was experiencing at the end of the Cold War. She became one of the Army’s greatest ‘ambassadors’ traveling to posts and installations across the globe, inspiring Soldiers and family members of all ranks and ages with a message of hope for the future.”
Similarly, Gen. Eric Shinseki (USMA ‘65) acknowledged “her insights were invaluable and so impressive that she became a personal touchstone for much of my own work in leader development and generalship during my tenure as Army Chief of Staff.”
In 2006, the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) established the Frances Hesselbein Student Leadership Program (FHSLP) at U.S. Military Academy and U.S. Air Force Academy, an annual intensive weeklong opportunity for high school students. MCEC has subsequently trained and developed hundreds of military-connected student leaders over its 16-year history.
“Frances led an extraordinary life and we at MCEC, along with the military students and families we serve, were blessed to be associated with her these many years,” said MCEC President and CEO Col. Rebecca Porter. “The students who were selected for the FHSLP loved spending time with Frances, either in person or remotely, whenever they could. She is truly a national treasure.”
The totality of these accomplishments and her notable contributions in support of the military led to Hesselbein’s selection as the third Class of 1951 Chair for the Study of Leadership in BS&L, becoming the first civilian and first woman to hold the position.
Reflecting on her selection, department head at the time, Brig. Gen. Tom Kolditz, said, “Frances combined her leadership with an effective yet rare leader quality: grace. This was exciting, because I always saw grace exhibited by our best senior leaders but did not see it that often in more junior officers. Frances represented the epitome of graceful leadership.”
She set a new standard for the role by forming “Team Service” made up of staff and faculty members to carry out three goals for the academy: 1.) To provide cadets exemplary experiences that inspire commitment to service; 2.) To instill “to serve is to live” in every learning opportunity; and 3.) To engage cadets and great thought leaders in strengthening their commitment to sustaining democracy.
In addition to attracting numerous highly regarded guest speakers to the academy each month, Hesselbein’s efforts resulted in significant expansion of the BS&L Academic Individual Advanced Development program and sparked the creation of what is now USMA’s annual McDonald Conference for Leaders of Character. In 2012, BS&L established the Frances Hesselbein Award for Excellence in Servant Leadership, given annually to the graduating cadet who best exemplifies her legacy of selfless service.
Brig. Gen. Bernard Banks, former professor and head of the department said “Frances’ example of leadership and personal ethos as the Class of 1951 Chair were reflective of her stanch belief in the academy’s mission statement. Frances was extremely proud of being a U.S. citizen who was privileged to respectfully engage with people around the globe. She understood the importance of embracing professional excellence and service to nation, and both undertakings resided at the core of all her actions.”
Current Head of BS&L Col. Everett Spain shared “Frances taught me two critical perspectives that I still work to emulate in my own life and leadership, ‘To serve is to live’ and ‘Can I find myself in you?’ BS&L is deeply thankful that Frances served as our Class of 1951 Chair.”
“Frances Hesselbein was one of the most impactful and admirable ‘Level 5’ leaders of the last century,” bestselling author and subsequent Class of 1951 Chair Jim Collins noted. “She taught me that one of the greatest sources of energy is leadership done in a spirit of service. Her most enduring impact is through the multitude of leaders — in business, in the military, in the social sectors — inspired by the guiding principle of her life: ‘To serve is to live.’ We have lost an irreplaceable light in our world, and in our lives. Her greatest gift was her uplifting example.”
A Celebration of Life is planned for 11 a.m. Feb. 4 at St. Bartholomew’s Church, 325 Park Avenue, New York. In keeping with Hesselbein’s longstanding approach to leadership, all are welcome.