Lessons in Leadership
When it comes to effective leadership, the devil is in the details, according to former Admiral James Stavridis.
鈥淎s we try to sort out, for example, a cease-fire in Ukraine, the challenge is not in the strategic鈥攖he challenge is the detail,鈥� Stavridis said.聽
Stavridis shared his assessment of major geopolitical conflicts and their implications for the United States while discussing leadership lessons at the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics鈥� Clough Colloquium on Thursday afternoon.
After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy, Stavridis served in the Navy for 37 years and reached the rank of four-star admiral. He was commander of the United States Southern Command and later the NATO Supreme Allied Commander.聽
Stavridis encouraged the audience to look to the past for lessons on leadership, particularly to Franklin D. Roosevelt鈥攐ne of the three best U.S. presidents, in his view.聽In addition to being an effective communicator through his fireside chats and speeches, Stavridis highlighted Roosevelt鈥檚 ability to collaborate and lead through teamwork.
鈥淲ho else could put together on one team and have a coherent outcome when your teammates are Winston Churchill, Charles de Gaulle, and Joseph Stalin?鈥� Stavridis said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a rough crowd.鈥澛�
But one of Roosevelt鈥檚 most underappreciated qualities, Stavridis said, was his eye for detail.
According to Stavridis, after Roosevelt finished dinner with guests, he often unrolled a map of the United States and handed them a pen, asking them to draw a line across the country in whatever direction they wanted. Regardless of the path they chose, Roosevelt could discuss individual counties.聽
鈥淲e think of Roosevelt鈥攁s we should鈥攁s a grand strategic thinker, but he was a master of detail,鈥� Stavridis said.聽
Leaders should take a page out of Roosevelt鈥檚 book and apply that same attention to detail to resolve current conflicts, especially the Russia-Ukraine war, Stavridis said.聽
Stavridis estimated there is a 60 percent chance Ukraine and Russia will sign a cease-fire agreement by the end of the year.聽As part of a potential deal, Stravidis said Western sanctions against Russia could be lifted, and Russia would likely retain all the territory it currently occupies, amounting to approximately 20 percent of Ukraine鈥檚 total land area.
Additionally, Stavridis said both nations would need to agree on a new border, with a demilitarized zone鈥攕imilar to the one between North and South Korea鈥攄ividing them. They would also need to determine who would be responsible for guarding it, Stavridis added.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a happy picture, but I think we can start to see the end game, and it will look a lot like the end of the Korean War,鈥� Stavridis said.聽If the war drags on for another year or two, Ukraine鈥檚 path to victory will be fraught with challenges, Stavridis said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not mission impossible, but it is mission really, really hard,鈥� Stavridis said. 鈥淢y advice if I were advising President Zelensky? Take the deal. Europe will stand with you. The U.S., I think, ultimately will stand with you.鈥�
Meanwhile, China has quietly laid claim to the South China Sea鈥攁 body of water roughly half the size of the United States.
鈥淐hina claims it in its entirety, as sovereign territory, as internal waters of China,鈥� Stavridis said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a preposterous claim. The United States鈥攍ike almost every other country鈥攚e claim 12 miles of sovereign territory off the shore.鈥澛�
To strengthen its presence and military strength in the region, China has built artificial islands in the South China Sea, according to Stavridis. This threatens both Taiwan and the Philippines, with which the United States has entered into an alliance and agreed to protect if an attack occurs.
Stavridis said Taiwan has emerged as a microchip hub and strong democracy, but investment in its military has not kept pace, leaving it vulnerable to Chinese aggression.
鈥淭heir military is kind of in the 20th century,鈥� Stavridis said. 鈥淭hey have not invested sufficiently to create a military that can deter China, and China has options.鈥�
The solution, Stavridis said, lies in Taiwan making itself like a porcupine鈥攄ifficult for China to confront.
鈥淭aiwan needs to become that indigestible porcupine,鈥� Stavridis said. 鈥淚n order to do it鈥攊t鈥檚 a rich country鈥攖hey can buy cruise missiles, air-defense systems, advanced mines that go in the sea.鈥�
Even as tensions with China remain high, Stavridis said he is hopeful the two powers can find common ground.
鈥淲e can avoid [conflict] if we apply diplomacy, deterrence, and if we are smart,鈥� Stavridis said.
Stavridis closed his talk by encouraging the audience to recognize and thank not only veterans but everyone who works to make their community a better place.
鈥淟et鈥檚 celebrate all who serve, not just our troops,鈥� Stavridis said. 鈥淟et鈥檚 celebrate our public safety defenders. Let鈥檚 celebrate our teachers and educators. Let鈥檚 celebrate our medical personnel.鈥澛�
Adapted from by Jack Beckman '27