Bob DeLuca

Executive Director, IT Modernization Centers of Excellence, General Services Administration

DeLuca says good leadership is about surrounding yourself with good people. “I believe you should hire people who are smarter and more capable than you and let them shine,” he told FedScoop. This requires, he admitted, a strong recruiting team. But it also requires creating a work environment that smart and capable people will be drawn to — this means encouraging feedback, providing meaningful work and mentoring junior staff for future roles, he said. The strategy seems to be working. GSA’s Centers of Excellence program has expanded its reach steadily over recent months, from a first deployment at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to teams at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and, most recently, the beginnings of a partnership with the Office of Personnel Management.