Post 1 on Leadership Quotes of President George W. Bush from his 2010 Memoir: Decision Points

I just completed the reading of Decision Points written by former president George W. Bush. I highly recommend it to you or any aspiring leader. Irrespective of your politics, this book is full of leadership lessons particularly about the process of making tough decisions and desirable leadership traits. I would like to use the next few blog postings to list a few of the leadership nuggets of gold I unearthed as I plowed through the book. After each one I will list the page number and the leadership trait that is most prominent.

These postings are not intended to promote partisan politics or one politician over others. It is about learning to be better leaders. Generally speaking we can learn something of value from anyone we meet, whether it is in person or in a book, if we look deep beneath the surface and put aside our individual biases. So take the high road here, look beyond the politics and contemplate on the lessons of leadership that are contained in the quotes. We can disagree on whether any politician models certain leadership traits or not, but it is difficult to argue the importance of the trait itself.

Leadership!

“Of course, in the presidency, there are no do-overs. You have to do what you believe is right and accept the consequences.” P.xii. Decisive and accountable


“When you know you have unconditional love, there is no point in rebellion and no need to fear failure.” P.8. Love and Relationships


“I’ve never been afraid to make a decision….” P.27. Decisive


“Proximity to power in empowerment.” P.43. Empowering


“When people did not perform, we made changes.” P.47. Accountable


“Karen was my kind of person-one who put family first.” P.54. Prioritizing


“…I learned the importance of properly structuring and staffing an organization. The people you choose to surround you determine the quality of advice you receive and the way your goals are implemented.” P. 65-66. Communicator


“For major appointments, I interviewed candidates face to face. I used my time to gauge character and personality. I was looking for integrity, competence, selflessness, and an ability to handle pressure. I always liked people with a sense of humor, a sign of humor, a sign of modesty and self-awareness.” P.66. Integrity


“As was my habit, I got up around 5:00 a.m. After two cups of coffee, I was anxious to get moving.” P.70. Initiative and Work Ethic


“Win or lose, we would finish this race as a team.” p. 72. Team Player


“I told him that in Texas, it meant something when a person gave you his word.” P.78. Honesty and Integrity


“I wanted a structure that was tight enough to ensure an orderly flow of information but flexible enough that I could receive advice from a variety of sources. It was important that advisers felt free to express concerns to me directly, without passing through a filter.” P. 82. Communicator


“Most important, I trusted Dick. I valued his steadiness. I enjoyed being around him. And he had become a good friend.” P. 87. Integrity and Trustworthiness


“The decision came down to Harriet and Pricilla Own. I decided to go with Harriet. I knew her better. P.101. Relationships

LeaderUp!  Have a great and safe week and remember,

 "Leadership is from the inside out!"

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