Providence, R.I.--The federal security director at Logan International Airport in Boston, Mass., outlined to an audience of Providence College students several qualities and principles that he believes are essential to being an effective leader.

George Naccara, who is a retired United States Coast Guard rear admiral, made his case as the first speaker in the PC Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program's new Leaders on Leadership course.

Leaders on Leadership is a once-weekly class that features successful business executives offering their views on leadership. Nine executives will make presentations throughout the fall semester.

Each business leader will be asked to convey several messages, including articulating their personal definition or practical understanding of leadership, describing what it is like to actually lead on a day-to-day basis, and outlining their personal beliefs about leading effectively.

The class is co-taught by Dr. Sue Lehrman, dean of the School of Business, and Dr. Matthew Eriksen, associate professor of management.

Career challenges enhanced leadership skills
Before becoming federal security director at Logan, Naccara served in the Coast Guard for more than 33 years. His assignments included serving as director of information and technology and chief information officer.

For his presentation, he highlighted three examples from his own experience in which he exemplified effective leadership. The first was when he was appointed Y2K project officer for the Coast Guard and the U.S. and international maritime industry as the year 2000 approached.

In this role, Naccara was tasked with identifying the vulnerabilities of billions of dollars worth of marine inventory. He also had to effectively communicate the potential catastrophic outcomes that could occur if the Y2K problem was not adequately addressed to leaders of foreign countries, which included addressing the United Nations General Assembly, and lead mock exercises and drills in major U.S. cities and ports.

"I saw the opportunity to take the lead because no one was really comfortable with this problem in the maritime world," he said.

Although major problems associated with Y2K never materialized, Naccara said qualities such as self-confidence, innovation, team-building skills, strategic planning, and promotion of a common goal were integral in guiding the maritime industry through the uncertainty.

The second career example Naccara gave was a recent bomb threat made at Logan. Before a plane was to depart from Boston to Miami, a flight attendant found a note in the lavatory that said "Bomb on Board."

Although the note was eventually deemed to be a hoax, Naccara said representatives from the Massachusetts State Police, the airline, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and others were all involved in the decision-making process. Ultimately, passengers were taken off the plane and allowed to take another flight to Miami. This, he said, exemplified the importance he places on the essential cross-agency cooperation that is necessary for the TSA to effectively carry out its mission.

"While there were conflicting opinions, nobody disagreed with the decision," he said, noting that being open to "responsible critique" is part of being a good leader. "A leader has to have the ability to realize they won't be successful alone. It is a measure of respect for others and an essential resource."

The third example Naccara gave of his career was when he joined the TSA. The TSA was formed immediately following the terrorist attacks on September 11. The agency is a component of the Department of Homeland Security.

Along with state, local, and regional partners, the TSA oversees security for the highways, railroads, mass transit systems, ports, and the 450 U.S. airports. The agency employs approximately 50,000 people.

As the TSA was established, Naccara said that some people who had decades-long careers in their fields had difficulties adjusting to the new agency's authority. At the time, federal security directors received a week of training and then were sent out to the airport to build TSA from scratch. He said qualities such as integrity, commitment, vision, communication, and optimism were integral in getting everyone on board.

"It is essential for a leader to project self-confidence and enthusiasm," Naccara said. "If you lose the drive, you're not thinking about how to improve things. I owed it to the workforce to be a positive, optimistic leader.

Television executive next speaker
Lisa Churchville, president and general manager of WJAR NBC-10 in Providence and a member of the College's Providence President's Council, will speak on leadership in the next Leaders on Leadership presentation on Thursday, October 8. The class takes place in Room LL12 of Harkins Hall, and the lectures begin at 6:00 p.m. They are open to the College community and the public on a space-available basis. Requests should be made to Katherine A. Follett, administrative coordinator, at (401) 865-2333 or kfollett@providence.edu.