Profession: Public Servant offers glimpses into the federal government's corridors of power during a decade of profound change and underscores the importance of learning for individuals, groups, and organizations in today's fast-paced world. It sets out a former deputy minister's take on the "burden of office" of the role and in the difficulties of staying out of one ditch—excessive concern with safeguarding a few key principles—without sliding into another—being too anxious to please or too tempted to put personal interests first. The story emphasizes the constructive contribution of experience and imagination, especially when it is enriched by on-the-job reflection.