Weekly Roundup: March 3-7, 2025

Leadership

Leaders Can Move Fast and Fix Things. The assumption embedded in Silicon Valley’s famous “move fast and break things” ethos is that we can either make progress or take care of people, one or the other. A certain amount of wreckage is the price we must pay for creating the future. Leaders who tackle big problems don’t need to slow down, they need to take a breath and take a few mission-critical steps before sprinting, including: 1) Make sure you’re solving the right problems; 2) Build more trust as you go; 3) Involve people you don’t know—and who know more than you do; and 4) Tell a better story.

What Sets Inspirational Leaders Apart. When people around the world are asked to reflect on both inspiring leaders and infuriating leaders, they point to three factors that distinguish the former from the latter. Inspiring leaders are visionary: They see the big picture and offer an optimistic, meaningful view of the future. Inspiring leaders are exemplars of desired behavior: They are calm and courageous protectors, authentically passionate, extremely competent but also humble. Finally, inspiring leaders are great mentors: They empower, encourage, and are empathetic toward others, but they also challenge others to be the best version of themselves.

When change is coming, make your messages clear.  Effective communication during organizational change helps prevent confusion and boost morale, writes Benjamin Laker, a professor at Henley Business School at the University of Reading, who advises leaders to present clear, transparent messages and make sure team members understand both the need and the benefit of changes. "Employees will appreciate your honesty and feel more confident if they know both the challenges and the rewards of the changes ahead," Laker writes.

Artificial Intelligence

Two Frameworks for Balancing AI Innovation and Risk. Organizations that view AI as just another technology project will increasingly find themselves irrelevant. Success will go to those who adopt a balanced approach—being radically optimistic about AI’s potential while remaining cautious about its risks. By integrating structured frameworks like OPEN and CARE, organizations can navigate this challenge, harnessing AI’s transformative power while building the resilience necessary to thrive in an uncertain future.

Data-Driven Strategy

DISA Unveils New Two-Year Data Strategy. The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) has unveiled its highly anticipated updated data strategy that details the agency’s plans to optimize data usage over the next two years. The Fiscal Years (FY) 2025-2027 Data Strategy marks a continuation of DISA’s existing data strategy. “This strategy represents a pivotal moment in DISA’s data evolution,” DISA Chief Data Officer Caroline Kuharske said in a statement. “By emphasizing strong governance, advanced analytics and a culture of data-driven decision-making, we are not only strengthening our operational capabilities but also positioning the agency to lead in innovation and efficiency.”

The Right Way to Make Data-Driven Decisions. Fueled by the promise of concrete insights, organizations are increasingly prioritizing data in their decision-making processes. But that process can easily go wrong. Many leaders don’t understand that their decisions are only as good as how they interpret the data. In this episode, Professor Michael Luca of Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and Professor Amy Edmondson of Harvard Business School share a framework for making better decisions by interpreting data more effectively.

Workforce/Reorganization

VA Plans to Cut About 72K Employees, 15% of Workforce. VA Secretary Doug Collins said that the cuts will not affect health care or benefits for veterans and their beneficiaries. “Our goal is to reduce VA employment levels to 2019 end-strength numbers – roughly 398,000 employees – from our current level of approximately 470,000 employees,” Collins said, adding, “That’s a 15 percent decrease.” Collins said the cuts will be part of a department-wide review of the VA “based on the input from career VA employees, senior executives, as well as the top VA leaders.” Collins said the cuts will not affect health care or benefits for veterans and their beneficiaries.

SSA Offering Incentives in Drive for 12% Workforce Cut. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is offering its employees incentives to reduce the agency’s workforce by 7,000 people as part of what the SSA is billing as a “massive reorganization.”  In a memo, SSA said it will soon restructure the entire organization while prioritizing the reduction of “offices that perform functions not mandated by statute.”  The memo was followed by a press release the next day where SSA stated that the agency is looking to reduce its staff by 7,000 personnel – or about 12 percent of the current total – and aiming for a target of 50,000 employees. Staffing levels at the agency are already near a 50-year low.  

MSPB Blocks Recent Firings of USDA Probationary Employees. The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) issued an order on March 5 that blocks – at least for 45 days – actions by the Agriculture Department since mid-February to fire nearly 5,700 of the agency’s probationary employees – or employees that generally have less than two years on the job.

OMB Nominee Signs on to Impoundment Control Fight. Dan Bishop, the president’s nominee for deputy director of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), told lawmakers today he takes issue with the constitutionality of the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 and will join in lockstep with OMB Director Russell Vought to push back against the law. The Impoundment Control Act (ICA) restricts a president from cutting federal funding without the approval of Congress. “There may be issues about the Impoundment Control Act and its constitutionality, and what exactly the contours are of the historic power to impound,” Bishop told lawmakers.

Innovation

GAO Warns DoD on SDA’s Satellite Laser Comm Tech. A recent Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) report, which analyzes SDA’s development of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA), highlights the system’s heavy reliance on laser communications for data transfer between satellites and Earth. The report is urging the Department of Defense (DoD) to pause further investments in the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) laser communications technology until it can provide more evidence of its effectiveness in space. The PWSA aims to deploy 300 to 500 satellites in low Earth orbit. DoD has already invested nearly $11 billion in the project since 2020 and is planning to allocate a total of $35 billion by 2029.

Reforms

House Panel Considers ATC Failures, Witnesses Urge Immediate Reform. A House subcommittee heard testimonies this week on challenges facing the U.S. air traffic control (ATC) systems and operators. The six witnesses shared insight on a range of challenges facing ATC systems and controllers – varying from staffing shortages to outdated legacy technology and lacking infrastructure – and called for long-term funding support and reforms to ensure safety and efficiency. “While it is easy to lay blame at the feet of the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] … we also have to look at our own shortfalls,” said Subcommittee Chairman Troy Nehls, R-Texas. “With a finite budget … and unstable funding, the agency is forced into the impossible predicament of having to dedicate vast amounts of money on simply sustaining old and outdated systems, leaving little left over for the capital improvement projects.” 

Presidential Transition – Updates

Which of Trump's nominees have been confirmed?  The Senate is currently vetting and voting on President Donald Trump's nominees for his Cabinet and other senior roles. There’s list of his nominations thus far and will update when they are confirmed by the Senate. There also are links to our coverage regarding how these individuals plan to lead their agencies and what workforce changes they could make. 

THIS WEEK @ THE CENTER 

RECENT BLOGS

• Dr. Francis Collins: A Legacy of Leadership in Public Service and Medical Research by Michael J. Keegan and Dan Chenok. Dr. Francis Collins has retired from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). At the IBM Center for The Business of Government, we have had the privilege of chronicling his journey through interviews, profiles, and in-depth reports.
• Forthcoming Research Reports by Dan Chenok. We are pleased to announce our latest round of awards for new reports on key public sector challenges, which respond to priorities identified in the Center's research agenda. Our content is intended to stimulate and accelerate the production of practical research that benefits public sector leaders and managers.

ICYMI – Transcend: Unlocking Humanity in the Age of AI - A Conversation with Faisal Hoque. This week Michael Keegan welcomes Faisal Hoque, author of, Transcend: Unlocking Humanity in the Age of AI to discuss this upcoming book and such topics as what it means to be human in the age of AI, how can the OPEN and CARE frameworks help us navigate the opportunities and dangers of AI, and what can government executives learn from the private sector.