When General Tom Lawson, Chief of the Defence Staff, addressed the Conference of Defence Associations in February, he spoke of a Canadian Forces learning to operate like many of its counterparts in a different budget reality. Lawson said the CF would have to study its major processes and look for ways to make significant changes. In particular, he pointed to the work of the Defence Renewal Team led by Rear-Admiral Andrew Smith, saying its work would be the “centre of gravity for years to come.”
How much the renewal team’s work builds on the recommendations of retired LGen Andrew Leslie in his 2011 report or seeks out new ways of doing business remains to be seen, but its role suggests a time of significant transformation.
CF leaders may well benefit from from a keynote session at Canadian Government Executive magazine’s April 4 Leadership Summit on “Leading Transformational Change in Challenging Times.” The session will feature Ron McKerlie, the former interim president and CEO of Ornge, which he successfully turned around, and Ken Cochrane, the former Chief Information Officer of the government of Canada and now with KPMG. Not only is CGE sharing the expertise of both government and and private sector thought leaders, it’s also recognizing the some of the most innovative government leaders of transformational programs. See http://cgeleadershipsummit.ca for more information and to register.