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After a remarkable 19 year career in leadership at the University of South Florida, President Judy Genshaft retired on July 1 in a planned and orderly transition, welcoming a new president, Dr. Steven Currall.

President Currall has spent his first few days talking with students, faculty, alumni and other stakeholders to ensure an open and honest transition.

In a recent radio interview, I was inspired to hear Currall tell us that his mission is to build on the accomplishments of the Genshaft administration.

Currall said, “My job is to help the USF community make the right decisions for the university in the long run. Sometimes those are group decisions: it might be my top leadership team, it might be decisions that the Board of Trustees has to make, sometimes the decisions that I have to make personally. But I don’t think it’s wise for a leader to try to do something simply symbolic as a way to establish authority.”

“I think the more mature approach is really just always to be thinking about what’s in the best long term interest of the university. I try to make decisions that will be received well and be seen as thoughtful and aligned with the strategic vision of the university.”

True Leadership:  (1) A strategic vision toward the future.  (2) Decisions aligned with the best long-term interests of the institution.  (3) Building on an existing foundation of progress and excellence.

Wouldn’t this theory and practice help make our country a stronger and better place to live, work and relax?