Six years ago this week, I retired and came home after 10 years in Washington. Behind me are 52 years of public service in three professions. The retirement years have removed me from the daily pressures of decision making in public arenas. My “fast track” today is family. At the same time, there is now…
Always Be Prepared for the Curve Ball
My post-retirement Washington experience defies traditional explanation and interpretation. My pathway to Washington was paved with early intrigue, surprise, irony, and gratification. It began with the call from longtime friend Mark Musick. As with most of my career moves, I did not see his proposition coming. Having just lost a race for governor and settled…
Zadrian’s Commentary, Part 2
Fifteen-year-old granddaughter Zadrian, was recently inspired to connect each lesson (ie chapter) in my book to a Bible verse. With her permission, I share the next 8 her 32 observations. Enjoy! ——————————————————— Lesson 9: Communicate, Communicate, Communicate What makes a successful leader is communication and timing. There is always a time to make a certain…
Zadrian’s Commentary, Part 1
Fifteen-year-old granddaughter Zadrian, was recently inspired to connect each lesson (ie chapter) in my book to a Bible verse. With her permission, I share the first eight of her 32 observations. I hope you will be delighted and inspired! ————————— Lesson 1: Select Carefully Your Mom And Dad Parents make such a huge impact on…
What Goes Around Comes Around
As chronicled in my previous post, my selection as Nashville Banner editor was more than a bit bizarre. However, the story of how John Jay Hooker became publisher of the newspaper takes incredulousness to an even higher level. It is a story of what goes around comes around, with a bitter twist. The Nashville Banner…
Be Careful In What You Wish For
One of the questions most often asked of young people is, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” Initially, I had a passion to be a play-by-play announcer of sporting events. As an undergraduate, I majored in broadcast journalism and had the opportunity to broadcast the University of Tennessee’s basketball and baseball…
Work at Making Friends of Adversaries
I had the opportunity to work with and for seven Tennessee governors during my time of leadership in government and education. Each brought a unique skill set to the office. I was fortunate to have a positive relationship with each one. Among the seven, Ned Ray McWherter was my favorite. I got to know him…
If You Have to Eat Crow, Eat It While It’s Hot
One of the great lessons to be learned from the infamous Watergate scandal during the Nixon administration is that human beings tend to forgive acknowledged mistakes. However, obstinate refusal to admit mistakes or, even worse, an attempt to cover up mistakes is a sure-fire recipe for failure. In literally hundreds of examples over my career,…
Seize those “Bernard King Moments” and Enjoy
Given that UT’s basketball team is now ranked number one in the nation, it occurred to me that an excerpt from my new book about the previously untold story of my involvement in saving Bernard King’s college basketball career might be of interest to my readers . . . Over the years, I have experienced…
Always Do what You Say You’re Going to Do
Without any question, I strongly believe that integrity is the cornerstone of successful leadership in any environment. Would-be leaders who lack integrity are ticking time bombs. Their credibility is certain to crumble. They are destined to self-destruct. However, there is another dimension of integrity that is often overlooked in leadership training. Stated simply, it is…