The Application with Tom Bostick
Lieutenant General (retired) Tom Bostick served in the US Army for 38 years, from Iraq to Afghanistan to The Pentagon. As the leader of the Military Command Center during the events of 9/11 he carried the key to the nuclear codes for then President George W. Bush.
But none of this would have happened if, decades earlier, a retired general hadn’t visited his school. He encouraged the young Tom to apply for a presidential nomination to secure a scholarship to West Point Military Academy. Tom Bostick talks to Kathy about chance encounters, the role of mosquitoes in his second career in the business world and the importance of leadership.
Tom tells Kathy about his leadership experience first in the military and later in business. And while he is very clear that what motivates leaders in these different spheres is fundamentally different he does believe that ‘having an empathetic spirit is an important part of leadership, whether in the military or in civilian world.’
'A leader's job is to train their men and women, equip them and then lead them, and to the greatest extent possible, to bring them home safely and uninjured' he says. But unfortunately that doesn’t always happen and as a General he attended many funerals of fallen soldiers and every year on Memorial Day Tom remembers and recognises those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
The Application is a podcast that tells us about our alumni – their background, what was the driver that caused them to apply for the Oxford Executive MBA (EMBA), what the turning points in their lives are, what their identity is and the tension that often embodies so much of our professional lives.
This year we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the programme and to mark this milestone, Kathy Harvey, Associate Dean, has stepped back behind the microphone with a number of our alumni to reflect on their journeys before, during and after their Executive MBA.
The Oxford Executive MBA is a transformational programme, that will challenge you to explore the answers to complex business issues. Learn how to innovate, how to lead responsibly and how to navigate change to transform your own business practice.
