The Foreign Service Journal, May 2015

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MAY 2015 47 ship for the State Department Foreign Service for which I argue. In the Air Force, when someone crossed the boundary of our core values, we were encouraged to stand up and say, “Not in my Air Force!” This notion, probably borrowed from the Marine Corps, gave us all a sense of ownership in the organization. The State Department’s core values are as follows: Loyalty: Commitment to the United States and the American people. We may complain about facing a promotion bottleneck, but what about our locally employed staff colleagues, who frequently face pay freezes, currency devaluation and other setbacks? Character: Maintenance of the highest ethical standards and integrity. Service: Excellence in the formulation of policy and program management with room for creative dissent. Implementation of policy and management practices, regardless of personal views. Accountability: Responsibility for meeting the highest per- formance standards. Community: Dedication to teamwork, professionalism and the customer’s perspective. Diversity: Commitment to having a workforce that repre- sents the diversity of America. When someone betrays them, we should not be afraid to say, “Not in my State Department!” As State continues to develop its culture of leadership, we should look at the bulge in the python as rippling core muscles of human capital—an unprecedented peer network poised to lead by example in honing a profession of diplomacy which values every member of the organization. I sincerely hope that these ideas inspire productive discussion. n