Est. 1853
Mount Aloysius College Leadership Banquet Authentic Discourse & Leadership: Can you have one without the other?
Michael C. Ryan
April 26, 2018 — Bertschi Center and Tech Commons
Retired Air Force Colonel and Adjunct Professor
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REMARKS OF MICHAEL C. RYAN Retired Air Force ColonelAir Force Colonel Thank you, Ms. Carrera for that very generous introduction. I wish my parents were here to have heard that — my father would’ve enjoyed it and my mother would’ve believed it. Seriously, it was very kind. Thank you! President Foley, Doctors, Professors, Students — Leaders ALL — Ladies and Gentlemen: It is an honor to be here. As a child growing up in nearby Carrolltown I had a drug problem. The problem was that every Sunday afternoon I was drug to Mount Aloysius! My great aunt, you see, was a nun on the faculty here — Sister Marie Therese Powers taught English here for more than fifty years and I was drug over here to see her. She and her sister, my mother’s mother, were born in the Admiral Peary house across the street. Both attended the Mount, as did my mother as a young
girl, and my sister as a college student. My father was from Cresson and met my mother here. His mother too had a strong bond to the Mount and in fact experienced a miracle in the Main building — but that’s another story for another time. In effect, my family has had strong ties to the Mount for more than 100 years, which is why I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to teach here this semester and to walk these hallowed halls without being drugged! And tonight it’s my pleasure to try to give something back. I’d like to start by congratulating all of you for focusing this year on Authentic Discourse in your leadership roles, because, quite simply, it’s impossible to have one without the other, for if you have the personal courage to be genuine and truthful, understanding and engaging, and open and honest with those around you the example you set will mark
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you as a leader worth following and in due course, people will follow you. Conversely, if you are in a leadership role and you do not engage in Authentic Discourse people may do what you say but no one will truly follow you regardless of your power or position. Well, all that is easier said than done. The challenge reminds me of the day Father O’Leary walked into the Pub in his village in Ireland… Father O’Leary walks into the pub you see and he walks up to Michael and he says: “Michael, do you want to go to heaven?” And Michael says “Yes, Father I do.” “Great!” says Father O’Leary, “Go stand by the wall.” Next, he goes up to Kevin and he says: “Kevin, do you want to go to heaven?” And Kevin says “Yes, Father I do.” “Great!” says Father O’Leary, “Go stand by the wall.” Then, he walks up to Paddy and he says: “Paddy, do you want to go to heaven?” And Paddy says “No, Father I don’t.” Surprised, Father jumps back and says “Paddy, how can you say you don’t want to go to heaven? Everybody wants to go to heaven!” Paddy says: “Of course, Father, when I die, but I just thought you were getting a group to go now!!!” Where did the good Father go wrong? He had a vision — heaven — and that vision was widely shared. He was certainly passionate about his work. His position marked him as a man of outstanding character and he clearly cared about the salvation
of the poor souls in the pub while he energetically pursued his aim of getting everyone into heaven. So where did his leadership falter? Why didn’t Paddy want to follow his lead? It was his language. You see leadership is language. The language you choose and the language you use — in essence, your authentic discourse — will determine whether you succeed or fail in your role as a leader… if you’re not understood, how can anyone do what you ask?
Leaders go from good to great in a moment. As Winston Churchill famously remarked:
My father used to say that leaders are either “born great, achieve greatness, or have greatness thrust upon them.” Based on my experience, and because he’s not here to argue with me, I want to say that he was wrong. The right answer, like most good test questions, is “All of the Above.” We are all made in the image and likeness of God; therefore, we are all born great. We can all achieve greatness because we have talents, which are God’s gift to us; what we do with those talents is our gift to God. If you read biographies of your heroes, and you should have heroes to emulate, you will see that they all used their gifts by developing their respective leadership skills in the years before their moment came, in other words, they achieved the makings of greatness in the years before greatness was thrust upon them.
I would define greatness as rising to the challenge, whether that challenge last a moment or a lifetime. When circumstances force us to go beyond our selfperceived limits and do those things we never thought we could, we are, in my mind, doing great
“To each there comes in their lifetime a special moment when they are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to them and fitted to their talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds them unprepared or unqualified for that which could have been their finest hour.”
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things. That said, Saint Mother Theresa put “greatness” into perspective when she said: “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” Our most authentic leaders, like Saint Mother Theresa had a vision — they could see the necessary future. They were passionate. They were passionate about that future and would risk all to bring it about. They were people of great character. They put service before self, had integrity in all that they did for their people, and were committed to excellence in accomplishing their task. They possessed the gift of empathy. They cared more about others than they did about themselves. And they had great staying power. They exemplified the adage “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
Those who get going are leaders. Leaders, like eagles, don’t flock. You find them one at a time often at the head of organizations, but there are also thought leaders, leaders by their example, and people who lead from the bottom. In effect, we are all in positions of leadership — IF we choose to be; if we embrace and purposely develop the qualities of leadership essential for success in any collective endeavor and if we learn the language of leadership. Those essential qualities I find in my experience that mark authentic leaders are: Vision, Passion, Character, Empathy, and Stamina. Vision — You must possess and be deeply committed to a compelling image of the future and you must use language to describe your vision in such a way that people will be excited about going there
with you. Abraham Lincoln spoke of a “government of the people, by the people, and for the people (that) must not perish from the earth” to inspire a war weary North to continue the Civil War after the victory at Gettysburg. As my friend Simon Sinek points out, Martin Luther King did not say “I have a plan” but rather “I have a dream” and that dream was inclusive not exclusive. His dream inspired people to endure the withering injustice of segregation and degradation, oppression which was based entirely on the color of a person’s skin and not, as Dr. King pointed out, on the content of his or her character. As the author John C. Maxwell, a true purveyor of the language of leadership writes: An authentic “leader knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.” Passion — You must be passionate, and your language must convey your passion. Language — not only your written and spoken word, but also your body language, your tone of voice, your volume — and whispering is often more passionate than shouting — and the messages you convey through your actions must all reveal your passion and they must be congruent with who you are as a person — You literally cannot fake it ’til you make it — Your passion must be evident anytime and every time your leadership addresses your vision, your team and your team’s effort to realize your vision! Great leaders simply do not have
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“off days” when it comes to their passionate conviction to their vision and to their team.
say “I” in the context of “I accept responsibility” or “I failed you”? Do you say “We” in the context of “We won” and “We are great!”? Character — If you can talk the All these things and more add up talk can you walk the walk? Can to character. Without character, people believe in you? Do you do who you are will not match what what you say? Do you ask more you say. If you and your team of yourself than you ask of your are to build a better future and team? Are you a shining example are to achieve the vision you set of integrity and discipline? Do you forth, you simply must embody deliver both the good news and the all the positive qualities required bad news with empathy and grace? for success. Remember, the devil Do you trust and respect your is lurking about making plans to colleagues and your subordinates? defeat your leadership. Give him Is your life lived for others or is it no quarter, allow him no chance, all about you? Do you say “We” eliminate him at every opportunity more than you say “I”? Do you through the strength of your
character and the discipline inherent in your approach to life as a leader — for authentic leadership is a way of life. Empathy — “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care. ” Are you a servant leader? Is your way of life in the service of others? Would you wash your apostles feet? Can you put yourself in the shoes of your followers and imagine life from their perspective? Do you listen more than you speak? Are your ears, your mind and your heart open to the views of those you lead? To the needs of those
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you serve? Does your language reveal your openness? Does your language convey your desire for truth? Can your teammates speak their truth without fear? If you show and communicate genuine empathy you will inspire great commitment and great sacrifice from those you lead. If you take care of your people, they will take care of the mission. Create the conditions in which they can succeed and their inevitable success will reflect well on you. Stamina — As a leader you must stay ahead of your teammates; you must start before they do, eat after they do, work more than they do, and be the last one to go to bed at night. Your vision, your drive, your character, your ability to see the task from your team’s point of view, will come to nothing if
you do not possess the energy, the stamina, the staying power to see it through. Can you fight the good fight? Can you finish the race? If you can, your team will see you as authentic, legitimate, and worth following. Vision, Passion, Character, Empathy, and Stamina are all conveyed by the language we use, and that language must always be congruent with who we are as leaders if we are to succeed. As I mentioned, you should have heroes. You should read about your heroes and understand how they demonstrated vision, passion, character, empathy, stamina and an ability to use language to communicate, to inspire, and to lead. For those
of us who are Christians, we all have the same hero. Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, is to me the greatest example of authentic leadership. He was the vision and embodied everything his vision implied. Jesus effectively inspired his apostles to embrace his vision through word and deed. He inspired them to spread the good news throughout all the world even after he was gone. His passion is unparalleled in history. His character unchallenged. His Love for all of us is without bound. And his staying power is everlasting. Leadership, like Christianity, is a way of life. As you grow and learn in your life as a leader you will, at times, be challenged like never before and seemingly your life will be a success or failure
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depending on how you rise or fall at the very next the challenge. At that moment when greatness is descending upon you and you stand at the threshold of your finest hour, simply ask yourself “What would Jesus do?” In today’s society overcome as it is by an abundance of information but a paucity of truth, by instantaneous communication, but irreconcilable division, by unparalleled knowledge, but expanding ignorance, authentic leadership is essential if we are to realize the promise of humanity embodied in the person of Jesus Christ. In such daunting times it’s comforting to remember that every great accomplishment in the history of mankind was the result of one person of character with a vision and passion, who inspired those around them, taking on the challenge of leading people toward something greater than themselves and getting it done. Their belief that “If it is to be, it’s up to me” drove them, and those around them to greatness.
Whatever you choose to do in life, remember: “If it is to be, it’s up to me.” Have a vision. Be passionate. Have a character worthy of the trust of others and understand and trust those you lead. Finish the race. Be impeccable with your word. In short, walk the walk and talk the talk. In this way, you will be authentic, and your authenticity will inspire those around to you do great things. Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for your very kind attention and I look forward to leading with you as we go forward together in life. I wish you a very good evening.
“Can you fight the good fight? Can you finish the race? If you can, your team will see you as authentic, legitimate, and worth following.”
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Michael Ryan is an adjunct professor at Mount Aloysius College and began his teaching here with his own History and Politics of Russia course. Before joining the College community, Mr. Ryan served in various positions at all levels of society, through which he has built a life of dedication to authentic discourse and leadership. Mr. Ryan is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. He was commissioned from the Academy in 1982 and served a distinguished 25-year career in the United States Air Force. He also earned a master’s degree in International Relations from Troy State University. Ryan was a graduate of the Joint Military Intelligence College, a National Defense Fellow with Congress, and achieved the rank of Colonel. During his time in the Air Force he was an A-10 pilot and participated in almost every level of leadership, assuming the roles of instructor pilot, flight commander, Red Flag mission commander, and assistant director of operations. Additionally, Ryan worked in the Command Action Group in Air Education as the Military Advisor to the Secretary of Defense Representative in Europe at the U.S. Mission to NATO. Since retiring as a Colonel, he has shared his knowledge, talents, and experiences with teaching positions throughout the United States and Europe, most notably as a Department Director at the NATO School. As the author of several published articles on military operations, Ryan has been able to demonstrate the authenticity of his experiences as well as inspire others across the world to lead lives of genuine civic engagement, in which they may critically analyze the diverse stream of information in the world through an objective, multilateral perspective. Although this is his first year as a Mount Aloysius College faculty member, Mr. Ryan has quickly become a well-known presence on campus. He emulates the core Mercy values in the classroom as well as his involvement in campus activities outside of the classroom. We are pleased to call him a valued member of the Mount Aloysius College learning community.
Mount Aloysius College — Since 1853 Founded in 1853 by Sisters of Mercy from Dublin, Ireland, Mount Aloysius College is an accredited, comprehensive, degree-granting institution offering Associate, Baccalaureate, and select Graduate Programs where women and men of diverse cultural, educational, and religious backgrounds optimize their aptitudes and acquire skills for meaningful careers. Mount Aloysius graduates are job ready, technology ready, and community ready.
Mount Aloysius College is located on a beautiful 193-acre campus in Cresson, nestled in the scenic Southern Allegheny Mountains of west-central Pennsylvania. Convenient and accessible from U.S. Route 22; the College’s setting is rural but within easy access from State College, Altoona, Johnstown and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Mount Aloysius has earned accolades as a Best Value College, a College of Distinction, a Catholic College of Distinction, and a Military Friendly Institution. The College’s Nursing Division is ranked sixth among Pennsylvania’s largest and most prestigious nursing programs. The College is accredited by Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the Conference for Mercy Higher Education, and by 12 separate profession-specific accreditation bodies.
Four Traditions
Mercy Tradition
Catholic Tradition
We cherish and revere the charism and example of the Sisters of Mercy, our founders and inspiration. We make concrete the Mercy Values — mercy in all relationships among students, faculty, staff, and administration, justice in all our endeavors, with hospitality and service to all at Mount Aloysius and in the larger community in which we live. In pursuit of these values, our faculty and staff personally engage, care for, and mentor each student. In practice as well as in word, we help all our students — including those facing significant challenges — to pursue their objectives.
surmount economic and educational hurdles that inhibit their aspirations for productive and fulfilling professions. To this end, we recognize that responsibility is shared across the Mount Aloysius community. Our faculty acknowledge and promote the truth that learning for career and for life takes place both in and outside classroom settings. Our staff give daily support to students, enhancing the process that brings them to their graduation day. We require service of our students so that they will recognize that educational attainment and self-giving are inseparable components of the good life. We rejoice in the assistance and loyalty of trustees, alumni, and the larger community who contribute in multiple ways to our mission, modeling the conviction that fulfillment ensues as a result of generous living.
We affirm and embrace the Catholic heritage of higher education, seeking knowledge, and communicating truth from its manifold sources, and welcome people of all faiths. (60% of the student body comes from other traditions.)
Liberal Arts Tradition We challenge and empower students in all programs to attain the goals of a liberal arts education — character development, critical thinking, communication skills, a passion for continual learning — and to become responsible, contributing citizens.
Mount Aloysius Tradition We honor and sustain the Mount Aloysius legacy of being an “engine of opportunity” for all students, helping them