Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald, visited Georgetown University on Jan. 29 to discuss the role of effective leadership in achieving success in all aspects of life. McDonald based his speech on his own life experiences in the military, private sector, and government.
“When I think about leadership,” said McDonald, “I think about character and values, and the importance of those values animating our behavior as leaders.”
McDonald began his presentation by introducing audience members to the Department of Veterans Affairs, citing the the Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address as the foundation for the DVA. He then discussed the importance of organizational purpose in achieving beneficial outcomes.
“When I think of a high performance organization, I always start with the purpose and the values of the organization,” said McDonald. “You always start with the foundational purpose- not just what they have written down or what’s on the wall of a conference room- but are those people living those values every single day?”
According to McDonald, this commitment to action is one of the most crucial pieces of an effective leader. In his estimation, it was a lack of value commitment that led to the Veterans Affairs crisis of 2014, in which veterans healthcare benefits were not properly handled. McDonald, who was hired following the exposure of the crisis, says he knew change was necessary following his hiring. Accordingly, he instituted new leadership and values training through which employees recommitted themselves to the standards of the organization.
Commitment to action is not the only thing that makes an effective leader in McDonald’s estimation. To illustrate this, he laid out a nine-point checklist which examined the qualities and duties that all successful leaders must exhibit. Ensuring that people are in the correct job, developing effective strategies, organizational renewal, and strong character were among the traits he highlighted.
To conclude his speech, McDonald discussed his “five E’s of leadership” which includes envisioning a future, engaging others, energizing the organization, properly executing a plan and enabling others to do the best work possible, something he believes is often overlooked.
“Enabling is about organizing the group to get the job done,” said McDonald. “It’s hard work, but building capability is incredibly important.”
Following his speech, McDonald was joined by LeNaya Hezel, Director of Georgetown’s Veterans Office for a question and answer session. During this time, McDonald highlighted the connection between his department and higher education by examining the G.I. Bill as well as the VITAL program, which allows veterans to transition to college with the assistance of Veterans Affairs resources and programs.
Georgetown President John J. DeGioia also noted the link between the service of the military and the University.
“As students, scholars and colleagues, [veterans] represent the ideals to which we aspire – a dedication to service, a commitment to each other and an ambition for living in accordance for our most deeply held values,” DeGioia said.
