Ottawa, Ontario, Wednesday, August 31, 2016

It’s wonderful to join all of you at the Chief of the Defence Staff General Officers/Flag Officers Symposium.

It’s an honour to be here. As commander-in-chief, I’m well aware just how much you do for our country.

Together, you and your colleagues stand up for our Canadian values.

Values such as respect for democracy.

Respect for people.

Integrity.

Stewardship.

Excellence.

These are some of the enduring values of Canada, and each of you serves in a manner that reflects and promotes those values.

You are all leaders in the Canadian Armed Forces, and you’re here to hone your skills and develop important critical and strategic thinking capabilities.

Those skills are so important to your success, and to Canada’s.

The ability to think critically and strategically is part of what defines you as leaders. And through strategic thinking, you can help solve—and avoid—problems, now and in the future.

I commend you for coming together for this symposium. You’re looking forward, not only to the next year, but to many years of serving Canadians. I urge you all to take advantage of this opportunity to share ideas and experiences, and to be open to taking necessary, strategic risks.

Risk is about being bold, about trying new things—despite the possibility of failure—about making changes so that our armed forces thrive today and in the future.

In fact, the only risk we can’t take is that of being too complacent with the status quo. The world is, of course, rapidly changing, evolving, shifting, and we must change with it.

As the saying goes, we must embrace change, or have change thrust upon us. 

So how will you ensure that the CAF continues to be an active organization, rather than simply a reactive one?

I’m going to suggest one path among many, but it is one that is dear to my heart and also one that you will be talking about at this symposium: lifelong learning

Being a leader, as you know, requires a commitment to lifelong learning.

As a former educator and university administrator, I know a bit about the value of education! I’ve seen first-hand how education—whether in a formal setting like a university or an informal setting—is significant in advancing careers and ensuring the right decision gets made.

And nowhere is that more important than with you, where the right decision means keeping our men and women in uniform as safe as possible.

The success of the Forces has always been because of its people, the men and women in uniform who sacrifice so much and whose sense of honour and duty is so inspirational.

It’s therefore vital that we offer you the proper tools to keep learning, to keep discovering new ways of doing things.

This symposium is a space where you can learn from your peers and from experts in the field. It offers a chance to speak with other general and flag officers from across the armed forces to find best practices and innovative ideas.

Minds like parachutes work best when open, so I urge you to keep learning, here and in the future, whenever you have the chance. The Canadian Armed Forces will be better for it. Canada will be better for it.

Now, I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you.