August 12, 2009 —



When Jim Harden went to work for David Taylor Research Center as a turbine engine technician, it wasn't the equipment that gave him the most trouble — it was the people. "They're a little more complex than machines," he said. But Harden found working through the challenges that people posed deeply rewarding, so after 32 years in the naval laboratory system, he went back to school and studied behavioral science.


He has since returned to government service as president of Greystone Consulting Group, an alliance of organization development consultants, training and education specialists, and executive and life coaches dedicated to developing self-awareness and growth, and assisting with transition and transformation. The practitioners help clients root out obstacles to individual and group productivity by applying the most recent discoveries of behavioral science.



Greystone's newest client is NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. NASA plans a return to the Moon by 2020, en route to Mars and other destinations within the solar system. The agency recognizes that such an ambitious agenda will require the same level of leadership that allowed Neil Armstrong to make "one giant leap for mankind" 40 years ago. The "right stuff" is needed not only by the astronauts who guide our nation's hopes into the heavens, but by every person within the organization.



To that end, Goddard launched a program it calls "Leadership Development and Excellence in Management." Goddard has long offered leadership training to its managers and administrators, but LDEM distinguishes between leadership and management. Leadership entails creating a vision, setting a direction, inspiring colleagues, and modeling values. Management is more concerned with the planning and organizing required to achieve a given vision.



Goddard seeks to improve leadership on every level, so LDEM will be available to every employee, regardless of title or position. As an opportunity for personal and professional development, LDEM will also allow the space flight center to recruit and retain quality personnel. After Goddard requested proposals, 78 companies expressed interest in designing and implementing the new program. After a nine-month vetting process, Goddard signed Greystone Consulting Group to a five-year contract.



Greystone has served a number of federal agencies in the past, including the space flight center, and Harden looks forward to building on that relationship. "We've always enjoyed working with the folks at Goddard, and I'm proud of what we've helped them achieve over the years," he said. "The difference this time is that the program will be available to everyone, and not just a select few. That's how real change is achieved. I'm excited by the challenges ahead, and honored that Greystone was chosen to assist in this process."