After years of neglect, both the public service and the military
have finally recognized that leadership and professionalism
are of paramount importance. This article explores
how and why the Canadian public service and military are
embracing strategic solutions to effect change. The authors
provide a historical backdrop to this renewal, describe recent
and current initiatives and examine in some depth why
the military is different from the rest of the public service
while reflecting on those aspects of the public service response
that might be imported into the military context.
From this research, the authors draw two main conclusions.
First, recruitment and retention should be top priorities
for both the public service and the Canadian Forces,
and programs that address these concerns should themselves
be creative and adaptive. Second, generic, off-theshelf
leadership and development programs are not sufficient
for the military. Effective programs must be customized
to the unique military culture and specific leadership
competencies required for the CF to carry out its missions.