U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge addressed students and faculty Wednesday afternoon at the Harvard Business School about the challenges and goals of his department.
A Harvard graduate, Ridge was sworn in as the first secretary in the history of the department on Oct. 8, 2001, and said he immediately understood the impact of his new position.
“We knew that the next story chapter in American leadership was about to begin,” he said. “International terrorism was the new totalitarian threat, and to secure our country we needed to do things differently.”
Among the department’s daily activities, according to Ridge, are screening 1.5 million airline passengers, patrolling both coastlines, inspecting food imports and evaluating technology proposals.
Ridge said the president and Congress acted hastily to create the new department, as “images of September 11th resonated deep within.”
“If everything becomes a priority, nothing gets done,” he said. “George Bush said that ‘our enemies are not idle, and neither are we.'”
Comparing homeland security to the economy, Ridge said Congress is a capital market, the source of funding and the source of clear management strategies. The former Pennsylvania governor added that the challenges he and other political leaders face are similar to the challenges brought to Harvard business students.
“Leadership is personal, highly individualized and rooted in fundamentals, shown in the commitment to our characters,” Ridge said.
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