Much to my wife’s chagrin, I’m a cable news junkie, used to endlessly watching the revolving topics of Trump Russia, Trump caravan, DOW Jones going up/going down, elections/election disputes, the Chinese and natural disasters.
When the “big” stories hit, they tend to take over and there’s nothing but endless coverage, for example, of a big hurricane on the East Coast. I keep the cable on, but hour after hour of the same subject bores me.
Imagine my own chagrin when President George H.W. Bush died. It took over the national news. I kept it on, barely paying attention. Then I started listening.
Back when Bush 41 was elected in 1988, I was a rookie sports reporter coming out of an ultra-liberal environment at Western Washington University. Back then I wasn’t into politics so much as sports, so I didn’t pay too much attention. What I did know is Bush was the former head of the CIA. Didn’t seem like a good deal to me back then.
Flash forward to today, and I’ve had plenty of cable TV time to learn and reflect on President Bush. As I see it, he did plenty of good, plenty of bad. But one aspect has stood out: His leadership.
Many readers of The Chronicle’s editorial pages are in some form of leadership position. Most of us in leadership have made it via hard work and talent. But once you start managing people, some of those skills are not sufficient to lead businesses small and large.
That’s where Bush comes in. I belief he was a great leader of people and we can learn from him.
My first clue was from one of the endless videos I watched a few days after Bush died. His granddaughter Jenna Bush Hager interviewed Bush on a relaxing afternoon on the Atlantic Coast. She asked him what he believes his legacy would be.
“I’ve kind of banned the use of the ‘l’ word, legacy word. I think history will get it right, point out the things I did wrong and perhaps some of the things we did right,” he said.
This was a key statement involving “I” and “we.” “The things I did wrong.” He takes blame for what went wrong. “The things we did right.” He passes the credit around to his team.
Former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton was interviewed after President Bush passed away. Gorton had several impressions, including Bush showed respect to all no matter their political persuasions. That is key in leadership. Listen to all opinions, and even if you disagree, disagree with respect. The more we, as leaders, bring all in to discuss all sides of an issue, of a problem, the better the solution, the more buy in from the team and ultimately, the better decision.
Son George W. Bush spoke at the funeral. Certainly a son will sing his deceased father’s praises. George W. didn’t focus on his dad’s oilman riches, his time resetting the CIA or his overseas actions while president. No, his son knows there is more to a man than the big decision, the impressive credentials.
“We’re going to miss you — your decency, sincerity and kind soul will stay with us forever,” he said.
Presidential historian Jon Meacham wrote a best-selling biography of President H.W. Bush. He spoke at the funeral in Washington, D.C. He called Bush “a master of what Franklin Roosevelt called the science of human relationships, he believed that to whom much is given, much is expected. … And in his personal life, he stood in the breach against heartbreak and hurt, always offering an outstretched hand, a warm word, a sympathetic tear. If you were down, he would rush to lift you up and if you were soaring, he would rush to savor your success. Strong and gracious, comforting and charming, loving and loyal, he was our shield in danger’s hour.”
It’s a simple leadership tactic, but perhaps the most important: Put others before yourself. I believe that will lead to much success during these trying times.
