PHOENIX -- I didn't come here to lecture anybody, began George H.W. Bush, the nation's 41st president and father of the current president. Remember the great philosopher Socrates? Well, they poisoned him.
The hearty laugh from the packed ballroom at the 2006 Outlook Leadership Conference at the Wigwam Resort & Spa was just the first of many as the man with self-deprecating wit and the sagacity that accompanies an accomplished life began his lecture on values.
Bush, whose impressive resume even prior to his one-term stint in [image-nocss] the White House includes foreign diplomat and head of the CIA, talked little about today's politics or about his son, George W. Rather, he toured his experiences and lessons culled from his four years in high office, during which he witnessed or presided over the fall of the Soviet Union, reunification of East and West Germany, Desert Storm, Tiananmen Square, improved relations between Israel and the Palestinians, and, domestically, the appointment of Supreme Court justices David Souter and Clarence Thomas.
He also reminisced about growing up in a house of privilege and the values imbued. His father, he mused, did not believe in sparing the rod. The octogenarian then shared a story of adolescence when he and his brother paid a neighboring girl to run naked, and then having to apologize to the girl's parents. Lesson learned? Yup, he and his brother paid too much.
He shared how while in boarding school, he called home after scoring three goals in a soccer game. His mother's response? She paused, then asked, but how did the team do? It was about the team, not the individual, he learned. That lesson steeped him in the need to assemble a good team, to treat them well in good times and times of struggle. Never hesitate to surround yourself with strong leaders, he shared.
He then touched on the Clarence Thomas nomination hearings for the Supreme Court. He asked me if he should withdraw. I put and arm around his shoulder and said you'll be confirmed and will be an excellent justice.
Lesson againYou can't pull away from somebody when the going gets tough. You can't look for scapegoats.
The former president remains active and continues to capture headlines. He and former President Bill Clinton have created bipartisan, high-profile alliance to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina relief funds. He also celebrated his 80th birthday two years ago by skydiving. When he pledged to do the same for his 85th birthday, his wife, Barbara, chided, One way or the other, this is your final jump.
In addition to loyalty, Bush talked about the value of balancing work and family. He also touched on the word that comedian Dana Carvey would forever link with the Bush presidency: Prudence.
Discussing how some lawmakers wanted him to fly to Germany when the Berlin Wall came down and make a visible show of support. Rather, he gave a cautiously supportive statement, but otherwise stayed out of the limelight. Instead of trying to make the dramatic grandstand play, prudence is often the right course.
Bush noted how later Mikhail Gorbachev, then head of the rapidly-transforming Soviet Union, praised him for his restrained response in that historic event in 1989. Of that day in Germany, Bush said, I think this was the most significant moment in the transformation of Europe.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.