Conducting this interview of the president of a county’s community college afforded me the opportunity to assess the public service mindset of a tenured public administrator. The president’s demeanor of both humility and confidence proved when the times get tough, it is essential for public administrators to remember that they are public servants. Furthermore, as public servants, public administrators must conduct themselves ethically.  This paper explores a breadth of topics in public administration.  Identifying information has been redacted to maintain confidentiality and anonymity. 

A public service perspective emerges readily from the public service mindset.  This paper shows how transformational leadership dovetails with both the public service perspective and mindset.  Not all possess "the public service mindset," but through transformational leadership, a public servant can mitigate interactions with those lacking this public service mindset. Thus, transformational leadership is a powerful tool in promoting the benefits to society afforded by the public service perspective.