March 11, 2004
SPEECH BY AMBASSADOR GUEST AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARAD,
AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY.
I'm grateful for your kind words, Mr. Mayor. Let me in turn thank you for the leadership and direction that you provide for this city. During my time in Romania, I've watched as you have established Arad as a model of positive inter-ethnic dialogue and cooperation. You've also played a key role in supporting and working with the substantial American business community that has located here, and for that I am grateful. It's been an honor to know you, and I look forward to our continued association.
It truly is wonderful to be back in Arad -- a city with a rich and proud history, evident not only in the impressive citadel that stands guard across the river from here, but also in the elegant turn-of-the-century architecture that graces so many streets. With each visit I've made -- some public, some private -- I've sensed new energy and life in this city.
I also appreciate the trust of this faculty in bestowing upon me this honorary degree. Certainly this ceremony, at such a distinguished university, gives me another attachment to Arad, and to this borderland of Crisani and the Banat -- the first area of Romania that I visited after arriving as U.S. Ambassador some two and a half years ago. Today, I feel even more at home here than I did in that first visit -- and for that, all of you have my thanks.
Whenever I visit a university, such as this one, I recall my own days as a student of history. As I studied the past, I became more aware of why my country, and indeed my community, had developed as they had. I came to see America as a country shaped in many ways by leadership:
Each country has its own story to tell, of course, and Romania too has enjoyed many examples of strong leadership across its history. Indeed, as I've traveled across this country, I've come across vivid reminders of that leadership -- the ruins of Poenari, monasteries built by Stefan cel Mare, fortifications erected here and elsewhere by those who repelled the Turks, and early thinkers of a united Romania, such as Alexandru Ioan Cuza. You are justifiably proud of all of these.
But as I've traveled, I've also come across relics of failed leadership from the Ceausescu period. Some of these are cast in steel and concrete -- hulking industrial sites that cannot compete in the modern economy. Others, though, are evidenced by a communist-era mentality that continues to retard change in this country. Citizens who could take the initiative but instead wait for the Government to solve community problems. Managers who won't take even the smallest decision without top-level approval. Property that remains heavily in state inventories. Cronyism that thrives on a stubborn lack of transparency. Superficial political decentralization that places most real power in the hands of appointed officials rather than in those of the mayors whom the people have elected to serve them.
During my time here, I've been told that Romania's unmet challenges are the result of a lack of resources. In some cases, that clearly is true. But as I've grappled with problems that limit America's relations with Romania, I've found that many of these unmet challenges stem from leadership skills that were lost in the communist period. The impact of that loss is visible today, not only on issues cited in the European Parliament's recent report on Romania, but in many of the local needs that can be seen in virtually every corner of this country. Simply put, some decisions taken - or, too often, those not taken - betray a Ceausescu-era mentality that is incompatible with the western structures Romania seeks to enter.
I say this without casting blame. All of us know that, under communism, Romanians -- an intelligent, creative, and resourceful people -- were discouraged from assuming leadership. Indeed, the priority was to follow, not to lead -- and those who stepped outside the boundaries drawn for them often paid a heavy personal price. But that priority was true in other central and east European countries as well. Why have some of those countries moved forward more rapidly than others? Clearly some had the benefit of moral leadership provided by a Havel or a Walesa, while others did not. But they also had determined citizens and leaders who recognized that their countries had a now-or-never chance to change their destiny. And when the history of this period is written, the leaders who have grasped the opportunity given to them by citizens to throw off communism's mental habits of inertia, subservience and closed opportunity will be the ones we remember. Others will be footnotes to history, because their vision was too narrow, or because they were too concerned with political games, rather than with truly leading their countries.
My friends, change in any country can only come through developing stronger leadership skills at every level of society. In Romania, that development begins with you, the students and future leaders of this country. It must continue with mid-grade civil servants, and with young professionals, and with entrepreneurs who have good ideas -- all of whom should be united in their determination to make government more responsive and the economy more flexible. And needless to say, strong leadership is essential at the top levels of any government and society, to tackle the challenges that can be resolved only at that level.
Clearly there is no overnight solution for the challenges that face Romania today, and some of these challenges will be left for you, as future leaders of this country, to resolve. How will you approach these challenges? What qualities of leadership do you need to hone as you prepare to lead Romania forward? The latter question might best be addressed in a semester course devoted to leadership. Indeed, such a leadership course here and at other universities could be a powerful investment in Romania's future. In the meantime, please allow me to offer some of the traits I've seen in America's best leaders, and in leaders I've encountered in my work with many countries across 22 years of diplomacy.
First, leaders have vision. They see beyond the current situation or even the immediate future, imagining products and goals that improve dramatically on the present. They don't wait for inspiration - instead, they look constantly for new ideas, and for better ways of doing things. They chart a course to reach their vision, and they communicate that vision and course effectively to others. And they have a commitment to put their ideas into action, regardless of the challenges that stand in the way.
Second, leaders build teams. They know that they cannot resolve problems single-handedly -- indeed, they understand that the prospects of achieving real change are magnified by encouraging decisions to be taken at lower levels. The teams that good leaders build are based strictly on competence -- not on connections, nor on the need to seek a balance of some abstract interests. Equally important, these teams are based on a commitment that each member makes to the other to work together for a greater good, not for one's narrow interests. The best leaders ensure that every team member has a voice -- and that dissenting views are listened to and evaluated, not discouraged or dismissed. And top leaders ensure that promotions are based on initiative, hard work, and good ideas -- not on longevity or on a penchant for telling the boss what he or she wants to hear.
Third, leaders set the example. They understand that their own personal standards of ethics and performance must be even higher than the standards they expect of their employees. A good leader consciously creates a work ethic that unites the team and drives it forward to new and higher accomplishments. And the best leaders practice personal accountability for their ethical decisions and actions. Now, accountability in leadership is a concept missing from my Romanian/English dictionary. It means taking responsibility for one's actions - or indeed for inaction in the face of needed change or direction. In other words, it is recognizing that leadership is a trust, not a right, and that leaders should be held to account - to corporate shareholders, their organization's members, or indeed to the citizens of the country they lead - for what they do. This sense of accountability is critically important to effective leadership in any organization.
Fourth, leaders are not afraid to take decisions, or to stand up for what is right. They have a can-do philosophy -- one that propels them toward solving the hard problems, not just the easy ones. They listen to their partners and constituents, and seek to build consensus wherever possible. And again, their decisions are based on ethical values that pull their workers and community forward. That sometimes means doing what is right rather than what is easy.
Last, leaders follow through relentlessly on decisions that are taken. They assign clear responsibility for implementing those decisions, and hold accountable those to whom this responsibility has been delegated. They insist on carefully defined action plans that chart a clear path forward. And they are rigorous and realistic in assessing the progress reported to them, consciously seeking honest appraisals over self-serving but hollow reports of progress, and staying engaged to make mid-course corrections when needed.
What I've tried to sketch out for you are leadership traits that can be developed and practiced at every level of society. Increasingly I've seen these traits among many of the talented Romanians I've met across this country:
These are only a few examples of people that are changing this country for the better. None were appointed to their positions. None are required to go beyond the ordinary as they are doing. All are risk-takers who believe in their ideas and missions and are determined to make a difference.
I'm sure that many of you know others who could be added to this list. Can you be added? My challenge to you today is to become a leader in change. Whatever your aspiration, whatever your career path, put your energies into creating communities that work for everyone. Establish new examples of streamlined and efficient business structures. Press for simplified procedures, and for more transparent and responsive decision-making. Decide now to change your community, and your country, for the better.
Even as students, you can add your voice and energies to those of others who are seeking change. After all, you have a vital stake in the decisions taken by your city's and country's leaders. Romania's future is your future, and the decisions that are taken today -- or, just as important, those that remain untaken -- will affect you for years to come.
When I was a boy, I had a telescope in the attic of our house. I used it to find the stars, and to explore the constellations in which they were located. Find your star and pursue it. Bring others with you, and join with them to create new constellations of light in Romania's universe. As citizens, explore what you can do to anchor this country's future in democracy and economic freedom. The leadership that each of you can provide will bring this country forward, and will allow Romania to become the free and prosperous democracy that all of you want and deserve.
Thank you.