Honesty and character were front and center at a panel discussion about leadership Tuesday at the University of Toledo.
“Honesty is, of course, crucial,” said Marc Garneau, a former astronaut, retired member of the Canadian Parliament, and retired Royal Canadian Navy officer. “Always tell the truth.”
Mr. Garneau was one of four panelists who spoke during the 90-minute event at UT’s Doermann Theatre.
About 300 people attended the panel moderated by David Shribman, a Pulitzer Prize-winning, nationally syndicated columnist, and executive editor emeritus of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, whose column also appears weekly in The Blade
The panel discussed leadership in the modern age, what it requires, how it is delivered, and why it matters.
“I saw wonderful displays of leadership on both the Mission Control side and the crew side, where when it was time to debrief, and [there was] a problem that occurred because the crew didn’t do the right thing, or Mission Control didn’t do the right thing,” Mr. Garneau said.
“What would astonish me, and really surprised me was the honesty with which people stood up and said, ‘That is my fault,’ or ‘I did the wrong [thing]. I responded incorrectly, or I gave the wrong advice to the crew,’” he said of the NASA debriefings after exercises and space flights. “Those kinds of moments of honesty, which are, of course, crucial to me, are displaying leadership that you don’t see very much in everyday life.”
Another panelist, Andrew Card, former White House chief of staff under President George W. Bush, spoke about the example of leadership and character he witnessed from the former president. He cited how Mr. Bush handled himself in public on Sept. 11, 2001, showing no fear or indecisiveness and only talking about what was confirmed as true facts.
Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Winston Churchill “especially during World War II” are examples of leaders Mr. Garneau cited as those worth emulating.
Jackie Calmes, a columnist and White House editor for the Los Angeles Times as well as a University of Toledo graduate, also emphasized that character and honesty are the foundations of a true leader. She held President Barack Obama’s successful uphill fight for the Affordable Care Act as an example of both attributes.
Talking about honesty and character, Ms. Calmes said she couldn’t help but mention “the elephant in the room” and said she has trepidation about the coming four-year presidency of President-elect Donald Trump, whom she called “the elephant that hasn’t [yet] been mentioned tonight.”
“If he didn’t have bad character, he wouldn’t have any character at all,” Ms. Calmes said. “... I think the second go around is going to be a lot more challenging, as we’re seeing from the initial appointments that he wants to make.”
Mr. Card added that “leadership in America is exercising the Constitution.”
Guests panelists also included Jean Becker, former chief of staff for President George H.W. Bush and author of Character Matters: And Other Life Lessons from George H.W. Bush.
Dr. Imran Ali, the University of Toledo’s interim dean of the College of Medicine and Life Sciences, delivered opening remarks at the event called “Exploring Leadership In Today’s World.” The panel discussion was the first installment of Perspectives, a new thought leadership series featuring national panelists in important conversations.
The panel discussion was presented by the University of Toledo and The Blade.
First Published December 3, 2024, 7:20 p.m.
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