"Who has not served cannot command."
—John Florio, 17th century writer

From a West Point junior officer, Harvard graduate, and three-time California state assemblyman, to secretary of the U.S. Army, vice chancellor of the California State University System, and now president of the University of New Mexico, CMC Trustee Louis E. Caldera has his own leadership philosophy. "Anyone can go to a great organization and pick up where the last guy left off," he said. "The greatest leadership test is going to an organization that isn't working well and turning it around-that's the challenge."

Caldera's trademark management style of leadership through motivation reflects two defining factors: a stringent work ethic instilled at an early age as a first-generation American, and the rigors of life as a West Point cadet.

"At West Point, we embraced an important lesson: take care of the people who work for you," he noted. "My personal leadership style is to build excitement about reaching goals by giving people a lot of responsibility. In an organization, individuals don't accomplish many of the big initiatives-teams do. You have to focus on taking the organization to the next level, working together, and defining expectations."

Caldera credits those vital West Point years with transforming a shy, bookish young man into a confident national leader. "At no other place in America do students talk about what it means to be a leader every single day," he recalled. "Imagine you're 22 years old, you have 50 soldiers under your command, and you're responsible for not just their job performance but also their health and welfare-their physical and mental well-being. Add to that the tens of millions of dollars of equipment for which you're responsible, and you're forced to sink or swim as a leader."

A CMC trustee since 2002, Caldera provides both insight and expertise in developing upcoming leaders. "The tradition of a small liberal arts college is a unique part of American higher education," he said. "CMC is producing our next generation of leaders. Service on the board is a way of bringing some of the values and concerns that I have about society's needs-the importance of diversity, public service, and civic engagement-to the attention of future leaders."

Relating with people from all walks of life, on all levels, is something Caldera says he learned first-hand from President Bill Clinton, while serving in two appointed posts from 1997 to 2001, first as managing director and chief operating officer of the Corporation for National and Community Service, and then as secretary of the U.S. Army, the highest-ranking civilian official in that branch of the military.

"President Clinton's interpersonal skills were incredible," Caldera observed. "He would instantly connect with people, giving them his full, undivided attention. Despite the many issues competing for his time, he always knew the details of what the members of his team were doing. And having the president make one positive comment will keep you working day and night for months. Developing those people skills and providing that valuable feedback are important in leading and motivating others."

While still active in both politics and the corporate boardroom-Caldera serves on the advisory board of the New Democratic Network, as well as the boards of several international organizations-he embraces his new role as the University of New Mexico's president to become, in his words, a "resource gatherer." Because universities are ever more dependent on federal and corporate research funding, Caldera points out that the university president "must be 'out there' seeking money from corporations, foundations, state, and federal agencies. If the university is going to succeed in achieving its academic mission, it has to be successful at attracting new resources."

A passion for public service first led Caldera into higher education; he says now he's counting on a lifetime of leadership to guide him as he faces new challenges at UNM. "A leader sets the standards for integrity, defines the culture and values of the organization, and organizes the work so that people are enthused to seize the best opportunities," he said. "I want to create a sense of purpose about how we prepare students to understand and succeed in this rapidly changing world."

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Trustee Louis E. Caldera