February 8, 2012

Retired Canadian Army Gen. Hillier addresses Ontario Road Builders’ Association

KELLY LAPOINTE

staff writer

There are so many reasons why Canadians should be optimistic and with that optimism, they can change the world, attendees at the Ontario Road Builders’ Association (ORBA) 85^th annual convention were told this week.

General Rick Hillier, former Canadian Chief of Defence Staff, spoke at the convention and also offered insight about what it takes to be a great leader.

Besides tips like you should tell your wife first if “you’re going to be away from home for a year and people are going to hunt you down and try to kill you,” Hillier said great leaders embody optimism, a sense of humour and the ability to take advantage of a crisis.

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“Allow the ripple effect of what they take away from being around you to be so inspirational that you cause others to want to come and be part of your organization and do what you’re going to do.”

He said being in places in Afghanistan where women are executed for being seen in public with a male, who isn’t an immediate family member, is a “pretty incredible reminder of what an awesome life we have in Canada and why we should be optimistic.”

He said Canadians should go out and change the world with that optimism.

Leadership not only comes through words, but actions that articulate those values.

MASTER CORPORAL SERGE GOUIN

General Rick Hillier, then Chief of Defence Staff and Canada's highest-ranking military officer, delivers a speech in July, 2008. Now retired from the Canadian Army, he spoke to an audience of construction professionals Feb. 6 at the Ontario Road Builders' Association annual convention in Toronto.

“They had heard the words before, what they had not seen was the actions to back them up.”

In Afghanistan, it was suggested that they buy a goat to help carry equipment. Hillier bought the goat, which ultimately kept lying down when it was loaded with a kit and wasn’t useful. He said that action garnered him “huge” credibility as a leader.

“Seeing their leader … trying to get involved in something like this to make their lives a little bit easier.”

One of the jobs as a leader is to look past a crisis and establish your objective beyond it. He said one way to achieve your objective is to take advantage of a crisis. He pointed to 1997 when the Red River flooded in southern Manitoba and Canadian Forces enrolment was at an all-time low.

“We deployed 11,000 soldiers out there, all of a sudden Canadians saw men and women in uniform … helping Canadians in their hour of greatest need. They got to see them in a different light,” he explained. “We used that opportunity to put those men and women, every chance we got, in front of those cameras.”

He said this helped reestablish the Canadian Forces.

In the past the military was mostly white men, but had to start looking out of that traditional model. You will not be successful if you start slicing off pieces of a population’s demographics, he emphasized.

“What we need are people who bring their unique characteristics and talents and abilities to help you meet the agreed upon vision that you’re trying to achieve,” Hillier said. “They come at it from a different way and perhaps bring solutions that you may not be able to see.”

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