Leaders Speak on Leadership and Public Service: Dr. Kathleen Merrigan and Linda Gibbs

In another installment of the Leaders Speak Series, I bring you a sampling of current government leaders and their advice on leadership and public service. What makes an effective leader? Why pursue a career in public service? Our guests offer their extended reflections on such questions.

For a decade, The Business of Government Hour has brought you leading government executives who are changing the way government does business.

Reverse Auctioning: Saving Money and Increasing Transparency

Reverse auctions—auctions where an organization posts a buying requirement and interested suppliers drive prices down as they bid against one another to win the auction—are a simple idea whose time has come.

Reverse Auctioning: Saving Money and Increasing Transparency by Professor David C.Wyld, is the latest repo

Perspectives on Power, Security, and Leadership with General Anthony Zinni (USMC Ret.)

In this complex and dynamic world of changing demands, the nature of security today requires that it be conceived more broadly than ever before. Some have called for a new vibrant strategic direction for US national security and foreign policy. Today's context presents a unique set of challenges and requires a new way of thinking about power, security, and leadership.

Perspectives on the Future of Power, Security, and Leadership with Professor Joseph S. Nye, Jr., Harvard University

A decade into the 21st century, the U.S. has encountered many unforeseen challenges and seemingly unimaginable opportunities. In this ever-more complex world, many question the proper use of power, leadership, and security in international relations. What is smart power? How do the challenges of the 21st century demand a reshaping and redefining of leadership? Professor Joseph S.

The Business of Government Magazine – The NEW Spring/Summer 2011 Edition

As with each edition, this issue of The Business of Government magazine has as its focus the core mission of the Center—connecting research to practice as a means to improve public management.

Weekly Roundup January 22, 2016

Improving Performance Management. Liam Ackland’s op-ed in Federal Computer Week identifies six steps that agency chief human capital officers could take in 2016 to address three major challenges:  the retirement tsunami, the skills gap, and improving employee engagement. https://fcw.com/Articles/2016/01/15/oped-performance-management.aspx?Page=1

Weekly Roundup January 29, 2016

An Empty Driver’s Seat. Federal News Radio interviews Danny Werfel former federal exec, and former acting IRS commissioner: “Call it the eighth year syndrome. It's the last year of a presidency and scores of politically appointed slots throughout the federal government are vacant, and likely to stay that way until the next administration comes in.”  Werfel gives advice on how career execs can manage through this period.

Weekly Roundup March 4, 2016

Legislating the “Internet of Things.”  Federal Computer Week reports that a bipartisan group of senators are sponsoring legislation that: “directs the Federal Communications Commission to assess spectrum needs required to support the IoT and convenes a working group of federal agencies and private-sector stakeholders to advise Congress on how to plan for and grow the new technological space.”

Weekly Roundup March 11, 2016

The topics Obama plans to hit -- and avoid -- at SXSW. When President Barack Obama makes history as the first sitting president to appear at the South by Southwest music, film and technology conferences, he'll likely be talking up public service but he doesn't plan to focus on federal hiring issues or the ongoing encryption debate.

 

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Leadership Fellow & Host
IBM Center for The Business of Government
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Michael has two decades of experience with both the private and public sectors encompassing strategic planning, business process redesign, strategic communications and marketing, performance management, change management, executive and team coaching, and risk-financing.

Michael leads the IBM Center for The Business of Government's leadership research. As the Center’s Leadership Fellow, his work is at the nexus of the Center’s mission – connecting research to practice. My work at that the Center complements frontline experience of actual government executives with practical insights from thought leaders who produce Center reports – merging real-world experience with practical scholarship. The purpose is not to offer definitive solutions to the many management challenges facing executives, but to provide a resource from which to draw practical, actionable recommendations on how best to confront such issues. Michael also hosts and produces the IBM Center’s The Business of Government Hour. He has interviewed and profiled hundreds of senior government executives from all levels of government as well as recognized thought leaders focusing on a range of public management issues and trends. Over the last four years, Michael has expanded both the show’s format and reach – now broadcasting informational and educational conversations with dedicated public servants on two radio stations five times a week and anywhere at anytime over the web and at iTunes. Michael is also the managing editor of The Business of Government magazine, with a targeted audience of close to 14,000 government and non-government professionals. Additionally, he manages the Center’s bi-annual proposal review process that awards stipends to independent, third party researchers tackling a wide range of public management issues.

Prior to joining the Center, Michael worked as a senior managing consultant with IBM GBS (Global Business Services) and as a principle consultant with PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ Washington Consulting Practice (WCP). He led projects in the private and federal civilian sectors including the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, FEMA, and the Veterans Health Administration. Before entering consulting, he worked in the private sector as product development manager at a New York City based risk financing firm.

Since 2003, Mr. Keegan has been a reviewer for Association of Government Accountant’s Certificate of Excellence in Accountability Reporting (CEAR)© program, keeping abreast of the most recent developments in authoritative standards affecting federal accounting, financial reporting and performance measurement. He is also a member of APPAM, the NYU Alumni Association, and the Data Center & Cloud Talent, USA. He holds masters in public administration and management from New York University and was the founder of its DC alumni group as well as previous treasurer of the NYU graduate school’s alumni board.