Retired four-star Navy admiral shares lessons on ethical leadership during School of Accountancy’s Orin Ethics Symposium

Patrick M. Walsh, a retired four-star admiral with the U.S. Navy, is a seasoned leader known for his ability to excel under pressure. 

During his distinguished career, Walsh served as the Vice Chief of Naval Operations and commanded the U.S. Pacific Fleet. He was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun – one of Japan’s highest honors – for his leadership of Operation Tomodachi, which provided critical aid to Japan following the devastating 2011 earthquake that claimed nearly 20,000 lives. 

Walsh said the key to ethical leadership is to make decisions based on first principles — fundamental truths that stand on their own rather than being derived from other assumptions.

“It’s really important – and I think it is hard to see this from a classroom perspective – that when you are in the positions that you will eventually be in that the decisions you make have to be clear, they have to be concise and they have to be consistent,” he said. “If you make decisions based on first principles, you will be in good shape because you can live with those principals.”

Walsh has been a transformative leader at the very highest levels in the Navy, business and education. He spoke during the School of Accountancy’s annual Richard M. Orin Ethics Symposium on Friday, Nov. 8, at the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business. Hundreds of students, faculty, staff and community members filled Bush Auditorium in Cornell Hall to hear him speak on “Ethical Leadership: Insights from the Command Center to the Boardroom.”

Eric Weissmann, Orin’s grandson, said: “It’s on all of us to live in a more ethical world. My grandfather would want you to know that ethics is about doing the right thing, even when it’s hard but especially when it is hard.”

Walsh agreed, telling listeners even when people from all different walks of life criticize you or question your actions, you can stand by your choices if they are based on first principals. The outcomes you reach will have a resilience and integrity that will withstand the judgment of others, allowing you to live with confidence in your decisions.

“Still, that is difficult,” he added.

Walsh emphasized the importance of relationship-building for new leaders, especially with the teams they oversee.

"It's really important for these leaders to hear from the team because if a leader comes in and dominates the room and just wants to hear themselves speak and proclaim, well, that's fine, but what you will find is everyone just nodding their heads," he said. "In today's environment, you have to demand a dialogue."

Walsh added that sending directives through email is insufficient because leaders can't gauge how messages are received. Face-to-face communication, he stressed, is vital to understanding how team members truly feel, especially those who may be hesitant to speak up in larger groups.

"It's important for me to find a way to hear that person's voice, he said. 

Walsh attended graduate studies at Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He graduated first in his class and received a master’s degree in law and diplomacy before entering the doctoral program with distinction and subsequently received a Ph.D.

Walsh flew with the "Golden Dragons" of Attack Squadron 192 and was selected into the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron known as the Blue Angels. Additionally, he served as special assistant to the director of the Office of Management and Budget as a White House fellow. He chaired the Department of Leadership, Ethics and Law at the U.S. Naval Academy, served as the executive assistant to the Chief of Naval Personnel, and reported to the Joint Staff for his first flag assignment as the deputy director for Strategy and Policy. 

After retiring from the military, Walsh was vice president of The Boeing Company, the senior vice president and general manager at iSIGHT Partners, and president of Strategic Programs with Academic Partnerships LLC. He also co-founded The First Watch Group, which provides transformation, turnaround, business development, due diligence and coaching services. Most recently, Walsh was appointed as the president of Cristo Rey Dallas, a Catholic college prep high school where he is leading the development of innovative models of college preparatory education for students with limited economic resources.

“From where I am now in Dallas working with high school students, everyone wants to be in your seat,” Walsh said. “Everyone wants to have your career paths and opportunities you have ahead. Just being glad to be here is a way to express gratitude.”

The Orin Ethics Symposium focuses on the intersection of ethics and accounting. The annual lecture series was made possible by Richard Orin, who received a business administration degree from Mizzou in 1949. He later partnered with the Trulaske College of Business in 2002 to create the lecture series which brings in key figures in business ethics, corporate governance and regulation to raise awareness about ethics issues in accountancy, business and law.