Lessons in Leadership

I’m home after my three-week program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government. As I’ve discussed previously, it was an amazing experience that really had an impact on me as both a public servant and a person. But I realize that sounds pretty abstract, so I thought I’d finish up the recollection of the program with a more tangible description of my experiences.

There were 79 of us in the class, representing elected officials in state and local government, first responders and agency directors. The group was mainly Americans, but included people from Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and Australia. It was fascinating to hear a foreign perspective on everyday problems we deal with in America, and it certainly broadened my worldview.

We met for required study groups every morning at 7:45 AM to review the day’s reading assignments and were in class until after 5:00 PM most days. The reading was intensive; some days we were expected to read and discuss over 100 pages of material. Most of the reading consisted of case studies- looking at different situations and analyzing how and why things happen. We were pressed to consider the consequences of those actions, and debate whether the participants in the case study made the right choices. The cases were carefully chosen to avoid any clear right or wrong answer, which really forced you to think.

The faculty was exceptional- honest to goodness world-class minds that took the time to learn about each of our backgrounds before they stepped into the classroom. We were pushed to reconsider our preconceived notions of concepts like leadership, which was a real eye-opener for me. As we moved through sessions on negotiation, communications, religion in public life, evaluating your performance and implementing solutions, it became clear how everything tied together in a way I couldn’t have foreseen when the program began.

Some of the most memorable moments for me were the sessions with guest speakers. We heard from Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis, who gave a riveting and totally honest account of the aftermath and investigation of the Boston Marathon bombings. It was surreal to hear the story from someone I had been watching on the news just a few months ago, and his description of the hard work and sacrifice of the law enforcement officers during the crisis gave me a whole new sense of appreciation for all of our first responders.

Another speaker was Dan Fenn, one of the last living members of John F. Kennedy’s administration. In a delightfully blunt and humorous way only a man approaching ninety years old can do, he gave fascinating historical perspective and reminded us that bigger isn’t always better when it comes to government. He also taught a session called “Rural Democracy” that will always stay with me when navigating small-town politics and policy.

Perhaps the most memorable speaker was Jianli Yang, a Chinese dissident involved in the Tiananmen Square protests. He then left China only to return in 2002 using someone else’s passport. He was imprisoned, and a turned down a negotiated early release from prison conditioned on never returning to China. Because he didn’t want to be exiled from his homeland forever, he went back into the cell and served the full five-year sentence. Upon his release in 2007, he walked out of jail, swept the front of his father's tomb and then left the country on his own. The simple act of honoring his father’s memory was worth years in a Chinese prison to him.

There weren't many dry eyes in the room as Yang spoke in deliberate, broken English about what American government means to him and how we should celebrate the things we do right as a nation instead of harp on the things we could do better. It was truly inspiring.

So what does all this mean going forward? I learned more than I ever expected to about public service. I realized I am doing some things right and realized there are other things I can be doing much better. By being taken out of my comfort zone and destabilized, I was able to step back and examine my own behavior and find places to channel my passion and energy in a more positive and productive way.

I am excited to be home with a renewed sense of purpose, a broader perspective of the world, a bit more maturity and understanding of opposing viewpoints and a total commitment to be the most effective advocate possible for the people of Pennsylvania. In other words, buckle up. It's time to go to work.