Page 210 - Leadership Lessons of the White House Fellows

LEADERS ARE PROBLEM SOLVERS

Whether in the White House, a refugee camp, or a meeting with government
and [nongovernmental organization] officials, she knew how to get people
moving.”
Julia Vadala Taft was a leader who was an unrepentant and unstop-
pable problem solver. She never took no for an answer. She fed the hungry,
gave refuge to the homeless, and protected the dispossessed—all with
energy, ingenuity, and good humor. Most of all, she coordinated the efforts
of other problem solvers to increase the odds of success. And as she said
each day as she left Will and the children for work with a huge shoulder
bag crammed with papers and other reading material and with a huge smile
on her face, “Well, I’m off to save the world! We have work to do.”
I think Julia Taft was a modern-day Lieutenant Rowan. She instinc-
tively knew what the problem was and focused on finding the best solution.
She used every ounce of ingenuity and courage she possessed to get the job
done. She always kept a level head and was humble about her incredible
achievements. Even when the task was seemingly insurmountable—such
as effectively and humanely resettling an abrupt surge of 131,000 refugees—
Taft took it on as if it were just another day at the office.
Lieutenant General Edward Rice, Jr. (WHF 90–91), believes he has the
key to how she did it. As commander, U.S. Forces Japan, and commander,
5th Air Force, Yokota Air Base, Japan, Rice is the senior U.S. military
representative in Japan and the highest-ranking African American in the
Air Force. He has held many command positions in his thirty-year career
in the military. He not only directed recruiting for the Air Force but
also led bomber forces in combat during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Additionally, he served as deputy commander for the joint task force that
provided disaster relief to those suffering in the aftermath of the 2004
tsunami in Southeast Asia. Rice served his White House Fellowship in
the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), mostly working
alongside HHS Chief of Staff Michael Calhoun, whom he classified as a
brilliant man with an outstanding ability to get to the bottom of difficulties
and resolve them effectively. From Calhoun, Rice learned that preparation
is essential to decision making and problem solving.
“Michael Calhoun had exceptional judgment, partly because he was
always extremely well prepared. That’s a quality I’ve tried to emulate over
the years,” Rice said. “I believe the first element for successful problem
solving is to have an understanding of the problem. A very successful person

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