Can tech create Democracy? 10 Leadership Commandments from an Admiral

It’s Day Three of FOSE week and the DorobekINSIDER is there brining you the inside scoop at the annual government IT conference and trade show. Chris has been tweeting up a storm and you can follow him @cdorobek.

FOSE has been producing some great panels. And the Former Senator Senator from Maine George Mitchell’s panel on technology and peace negotiations was particularly fascinating.

FOSE WITH SENATOR MITCHELL AND ADMIRAL OLSON by GovLoop Insights

Can social media tools inspire and maintain democracy?

Senator Mitchell says with the way the world is structured today the US cannot win wars with simple military superiority.

You need four additional actors:

1. More effective and cooperative police work
2. Diplomacy
3. Financial and economic interdiction
4. Better Intelligence gathering and analysis

But Senator Mitchell warns that even if the Arab Spring can can start and maintain a revolution it is still a long road to democracy.

“Revolutions are unpredictable. You have to remember that it took the United State’s seven years after the Revolutionary War ended to set up a democratic constitution.”

In order to create a new government you will need a powerful and proven leader. Admiral Eric Olson is one of the best. The Admiral is the former commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command and retired Four-star Navy SEAL who has over 38 years in government.

All of that experience has made Admiral Olson a proven and successful leader.

He told the crowd at FOSE about his list of 10 commandments to build a high powered team.

1. Know the purpose
2. Select the right people — or get to know the people thrust on you
3. Train and educate your team from the start but don’t stop training
4. Present your team with adversity and see how they handle it — Character under stress cannot be faked
5. Organize for success
6. Learn fearlessly
7. Show trust in your team
8. Hold them to a high standard
9. Be their advocate and champion
10. Live the life of a leader — Leaders are never off duty

What other commandments should be added to Admiral Olson’s list?