Cutting the head off the snake - does simply forcing the head of an organization to resign resolve the issue?

IMO, no.  Not all cases are the same.  The head of an organization is usually an aministrator.  They don't get dirty in the day-to-day operations.  However a good leader steps out from behind the desk from time to time and observes operations.  Now I'm just reading in to this as the Secret Service Director.  In that case, she fumbled her interviews.  That was enough for me to think "Yup" time for her to go.  It just showed she was a bad leader.  Can't always take responsability for those who work for you.  My final thoughts on this was my former Sheriff Cody Carpenter (remember this name).  He started at the lowest end of the ranks.  A dispatcher and worked himself up to patrol deputy, patrol sergeant, invesigator eventually Chief Deputy and in 2005 was elected Sheriff.  He couldn't stand to sit behind the desk.  He did his adminastrative duties but he had to always be in the field checking his guys and gals out.  He was a born leader.  And our department had so called scandels, issues whatever you want to label them.  He never stepped down just held his head high.  Last year almost two years since I was retired out of the department.  The county suffered major flooding.  Two older woman became trapped in their residence by the water.  Sheriff Cody didn't send a deputy to rescue them.  He went himseld with the aid of Arkansas Game Warden Joel Campora.  Flood waters rapidly increased and the house imploded with all inside.   The Sheriff lost his life in the line of duty.  Doing a task he would ask no other to do.

SFC (Join to see) I would have to agree with you. The Secert Service Director was an embarrassment and had to go. But General Shinseki was not the problem with the VA. That was totally for PR!

SFC Mark Merino - This administration's path of destruction will take years to fix. This is President Redux x2.

Crap breeds Crap

Not all the time. Sometimes the poor leadership has trained their subordinates so poorly that even with a well qualified leader the "troops" still can not do their job as required without complete retraining. You just need to start at the beginning and sometimes with new people.

yep

Not surprising at all. Phoenix VA Director Sharon Helman was a administrator here in our Spokane VA hospital until she got in trouble. And then what a shock promoted to director in Phoenix. Of course she screwed it up their also.