Toronto, Wednesday, October 24, 2012

It is a pleasure to be here with all of you in the spirit of camaraderie, both in an official capacity and as someone who respects what you do.

I am proud to hold the title of commander-in-chief. I am proud because, day after day, I am able to hear about the accomplishments of our men and women in uniform; I am able to meet with veterans and serving members of the military and their families; and, through them, I am able to discover the true meaning of duty, honour and service.

All of you have a unique story of how you came to be here—in this place, at this time, at this point in your careers—but what draws all of you to the Canadian Forces College? In a word: learning.

For nearly 70 years, the Canadian Forces College has been providing quality education to many Canadians seeking to excel in military leadership positions all over the world. In any field, professional development is a key component of success. This is equally true of our military members.

Here, you learn to adapt to a changing military and to a more globalized world.  

And, most importantly, you learn more about what it means to be a leader.

All of you already have leadership experience. But leadership is always a work-in-progress, and the learning never ends.

Dr. William Osler, one of Canada’s most renowned physicians and a founder of the modern medical school, once said:

“The hardest conviction to get into the mind of a beginner is that the education upon which he is engaged is not a college course, not a medical course, but a life course.”

You are no beginners; you understood long ago that learning is the fundamental way both to succeed and, in the case of the Canadian Forces, to save lives.

Leadership for the members of the military, I believe, can be best described in the publication titled Leadership in the Canadian Forces: Conceptual Foundations. It states that effective leadership is “Directing, motivating, and enabling others to accomplish the mission professionally and ethically, while developing or improving capabilities that contribute to mission success. Effective CF leaders get the job done, look after their people, think and act in terms of the larger team, anticipate and adapt to change, and exemplify the military ethos in all they do.”

The education you receive here and the experience that you have gained throughout your careers have proven this to be true. All of you have, in the words of this description, gotten the job done. You have contributed to the success of the Canadian Forces, at home and overseas.

Now, with the help of this college, you are preparing to make an even greater contribution to the evolution of the Canadian Forces. And I have no doubt that you will become the great leaders that our military deserves and needs, particularly in these times of change.

And that change is happening from the top down. Very soon, there will be a change of command for the Chief of the Defence Staff. Lieutenant-General Thomas J. Lawson will have a different way of commanding than General Natynczyk, yet both are proven leaders.

In the words of retired general Rick Hillier: “. . . we actively seek people who can bring the leadership necessary to help us become more, and achieve more.”

Leaders like generals Hillier or Natynczyk, leaders like Lieutenant-General Lawson, leaders like the staff of this college, leaders like all of you, help us to be and to accomplish so much more.

Leadership requires at least one more component, which is collaboration.

In this room alone, we have representatives from over 20 countries. We have soldiers of all ranks and disciplines. Yet we are all united under and are working together towards common causes of justice, fairness and peace.

In co-operation, we find the strength to carry forward a vision of a smarter, more caring world based on our shared values.

General Hillier put it most succinctly when he wrote “leadership is about people.”

Taken further, leadership is about listening to the people around you, drawing out their strengths, compensating for their weaknesses and allowing them the opportunity to contribute to the overall goal.

And, we cannot forget the importance of sharing knowledge, beyond ranks, beyond disciplines, beyond borders.

In five years, Canada will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of Confederation. And in that time, we will see an evolved Canadian Forces, with change brought about by leaders distinguished by vision, bravery and honour.

And so, as you learn, here or elsewhere, and as you listen to your colleagues, ask yourselves what you would like the Canadian Forces to look like in 2017.

Because the future shape of our military will rely so much on leadership and how readily we are willing to share experience and knowledge with others.