Attorney General candidate Brownlee discusses key to leadership

By Denice Thibodeau
Danville Register & Bee
Published: June 11, 2008

Virginia Attorney General candidate John Brownlee said Tuesday that there are three core examples of his path to leadership: character, courage and communication.

Brownlee, the former U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia, spoke Tuesday at the Sorensen Institute’s Southside Leadership Series program held at the Institute for Advanced Learning & Research.

Character is important because “you only have one reputation,” he told the audience of about 70, including a bus-load of University of Virginia students.

Brownlee added that character and integrity exemplify doing the right thing even if it means losing a case or an election.

Courage also is needed to do what’s right, he said.

Brownlee told the audience that courage is needed to tell an employer “no” when asked to do something unethical.

The third thing a good leader needs is communication, he said.

“You need to communicate your vision, your hopes, to the people you want to lead,” Brownlee said.

He said a good way to prepare for that kind of communication is for people to write down exactly why they want to hold whatever position it is they are considering, so they can communicate it more clearly to others.

Brownlee also talked about cases he has prosecuted, and said, “I’m a law-and-order individual. I prosecute bad guys.”

When asked how he felt about rehabilitation programs, Brownlee said there are criminals who need to be separated from the rest of the public for their safety and should stay separated.

He said he also believes in the death penalty.

“It’s protects innocent lives,” Brownlee said.

Contact Denice Thibodeau at or (434) 791-7985.