President’s Corner: Values-based Leadership in Challenging Times

By Allen Sutherland

November 13, 2025

The public service is facing multiple tests of its leadership. For instance, there are high expectations to deliver seven complex, multi-faceted and challenging missions. In addition, the Prime Minister himself continues to set the bar very high by arguing that the country “needs to do things we never imagined on timelines we never thought possible.” How’s that for raising expectations? Now as a result of the budget delivered on November 4, public servants know that delivering will occur amid workforce reductions on the magnitude of some 40,000 employees.

In my commentary in the Ottawa Citizen on November 6, I argued that workforce adjustment provides an important test of public service values to ensure that such reductions occur transparently, compassionately, fairly and smartly. Values-based and ethical workforce adjustment is a pre-requisite for the public service to truly revitalize itself for the future.

The burden of leadership will fall particularly hard on the some 2,000 public service executives who are themselves directly impacted by workforce adjustments. It will be hard for them to support their staff when they themselves may be in need of support. Their example during these challenging times will speak volumes about their personal integrity, as well as the integrity of the institution they serve.

My thoughts are with them as they take on this next, and possibly last, task as leaders in the public service.