LAS VEGAS – Last week’s NACS Show in Las Vegas wrapped up with a powerful keynote speech by Dr. Robert Gates, former secretary of defense and director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Gates, who served as the 22nd secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011 under both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama, shared his thoughts on issues of the day, from the scope of global conflicts to the importance of leadership.
Author of the New York Times Bestseller, Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War, Gates began his speech with a few playful jabs at the insider politics of Washington, D.C. But the light tone was short-lived as Gates delved into an insightful assessment of today’s most pressing global issues. “We are sailing in perilous waters right now,” he said of America’s current foreign policy. In his view, the rest of the world has gained the impression over the past few years “of American weariness and intent to withdraw from its global role.” He cautions that the urge to retreat risks weakening the nation’s global position.
Gates went on to assess the current Middle East politics, summing it up as “four seismic shifts”: Sunni versus Shia, reformers versus fundamentalists, secularists versus islamists, and artificial countries no longer ruled by the “iron fist” of a unifying power. An additional challenge that he notes, beyond the Middle East region, is the shift away from post-WWII’s global partnership and toward a pre-WWI attitude of shattered relations.
On the homefront, Gates shared memories of his time as Secretary of Defense, in the context of leadership at all levels. He shared the importance of being inclusive of all team members, recalling “by being inclusive with my team [the U.S. military], I was able to change the organization in myriad ways.” He advises all leaders to listen to their people on the front lines, who often know what the problems are and how to solve them, and advised: “Above all, take care of your troops. If they feel invested, you’ve created enthusiastic and deeply loyal people.”
Gates presentation was followed by a collegial question-and-answer session with 2014-2015 NACS Board Chairman Steve Loehr.