THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, December 19, 1994 TAG: 9412190065
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PERRY PARKS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 98 lines
It was on a commuter flight between the two largest cities of Ecuador that Larry Donnithorne realized he was at a disadvantage.
Newspapers had been left on passengers' seats, and like everyone else, Donnithorne scooped his up to read it. Then he remembered it was in Spanish.
``I was the one who was not able to manage in that society,'' Donnithorne said Thursday. ``It was a fresh reminder to me that much of the world is different from us, and they're getting along just fine.
``We are not the center of the world.''
Donnithorne, in his second year as College of Albemarle president, spent five days in the South American country last month after being invited to address business leaders on his book, ``The West Point Way of Leadership.''
Donnithorne, 50, graduated from West Point in 1966. He spent 13 years as an instructor and administrator there before retiring as an Army colonel to take the helm at COA in March 1993.
The Ecuador visit was only ``the most exciting'' of numerous invitations to discuss his book, which chronicles the development of leaders at West Point and encourages value-driven leadership in all organizations. The book also makes a couple of references to COA and Pasquotank County.
Donnithorne already has spoken in cities such as Milwaukee and Philadelphia, and appearances are scheduled in Chicago, at Duke University, West Point and several local functions.
By the end of October, 37,000 copies of Donnithorne's book had been distributed, he said. About 30,000 have sold. The book has been reprinted in Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and Hebrew.
``I have been surprised at how many people have put pen to paper and jotted off a letter to me after they have read the book,'' Donnithorne said. ``I asked my editor if that was typical and she said no, it's not. People are being struck by the message in the book in an unusual way.''
Among those struck was an American-educated businessman from Ecuador, who asked Donnithorne to visit his country. Donnithorne called the trip ``enriching'' and said it brought home the need for heightened cultural awareness.
``One of the first things I did when I got back was to sign up for beginner Spanish,'' Donnithorne said. ``It certainly does reinforce my respect for the movement within higher education to broaden the multicultural presentation of education.''
Although Donnithorne spent a rigorous four days making presentations, he took some time to tour Ecuador, about the size of Colorado. His photo album shows town markets, peasant farmers and colorful images of the breathtaking countryside.
Among Donnithorne's stops was a site designated by geologists as a point on the equator, which divides the northern and southern halves of the globe. ``Of course, I stood with one foot on either side of the line so I could say I had one foot in each hemisphere,'' Donnithorne said.
Another photo shows Donnithorne flanked by two men armed with machine guns, who were assigned to guard him during a presentation at a banking conference, whose speakers included the country's vice president. In Ecuador, Donnithorne learned, dignitaries sometimes are kidnapped and held for ransom.
Donnithorne said he had been unsure whether the ideas in his book, which he presented through translators, would be pertinent to the business culture in Ecuador. But he said the principles emphasized are fundamental enough to cross cultural lines.
Among them are the ideas ``that we should be clear about our purpose,'' and that organizations should act responsibly toward their employees and community.
A company, Donnithorne said, can choose to build a product that is long-lasting, high quality and responsibly made, or it can make a quick buck by cutting corners and abusing people.
``It's really the leadership that makes that choice,'' Donnithorne said. ``A company that is clear about the values that they want to employ, then provides the basis for empowerment.''
Building character has become more difficult for leaders in this country, Donnithorne said, as the nation loses a sense of shared values.
Cadets at West Point ``reflect the chaos of values that is now rampant in our society,'' he said, which requires the military school to work harder to reinforce a set of standards that cadets once brought with them.
A frustrated businessman in New York told Donnithorne that he couldn't make clear to his new employees the importance of generating a high level of trust in his company.
Donnithorne told the man to be more explicit about the organization's values and ensure they trickle down through all levels of the company.
``That's not an easy process,'' Donnithorne said. ``It's fraught with opportunities to fail. But it was the best advice I could give him.''
Donnithorne said he tries to follow his own advice as the COA official most responsible for determining the college's future. He considers himself in a unique position, saying his dual roles as leader and leadership instructor complement each other.
``My practice is probably better for the interaction between the two,'' he said. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by DREW C. WILSON, Staff
Larry Donnithorne travels nationwide, and abroad, to discuss the
principles in his book, ``The West Point Way of Leadership.''
by CNB