Anytime you can read about leadership from the perspective of President, I think it’s worth it. Imagine what it is like to lead our country. I am so grateful that George W. Bush wrote this book and gave us his perspective.
Decision Points was a fantastic book. Unlike most Presidential Memoirs, instead of telling the story of his life, George W. Bush focuses on several critical decisions he’s had to make in his life and his Presidency. It was very interesting to hear him talk about 9/11, choosing his cabinet, how he values his family life, quitting drinking, Iraq, Katrina, and a few other critical decisions.
Although I was already a fan, this book made me respect George W. Bush on a much deeper level that I had before. I love his passion for his family, his love for God, his honesty, and his character. After reading it, I have such a deeper respect for the office of the President.
My big takeaway is summed up in George W. Bush’s summary of his Presidency:
“The nature of history is that we know the consequences only of the action we took. But inaction would have had consequences, too . . .I believe I got some of those decisions right, and I got some wrong. But on every one, I did what I believed was in the best interests of our country
I realized that in leadership, you have to make tough decisions without knowing what all of the consequences will be, but regardless, we must act. We must do what we believe to be right. There will be times where we miss it and times where we hit it out of the park. It comes with the leadership package, but if we’re always doing what we believe is in everyone’s best interest, history will be kind to us, as I believe it will be to George W. Bush.
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Some Highlights:
- I believe I got some of those decisions right, and I got some wrong. But on every one, I did what I believed was in the best interests of our country
- January day in 2001, I could never have imagined what would unfold over my time in office. I knew some of the decisions I had made were not popular with many of my fellow citizens. But I felt satisfied that I had been willing to make the hard decisions, and I had always done what I believed was right
- Sir Edmund Burke, the eighteenth-century British leader: “The only thing needed for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
- Faith-based programs had the potential to change lives in ways secular ones never could. “Government can hand out money,” I said, “but it cannot put hope in a person’s heart or a sense of purpose in a person’s life.”
- The nature of history is that we know the consequences only of the action we took. But inaction would have had consequences, too.
- The experience reminded me that even the most accomplished and powerful people sometimes need to be reassured.
- History can debate the decisions I made, the policies I chose, and the tools I left behind. But there can be no debate about one fact: After the nightmare of September 11, America went seven and a half years without another successful terrorist attack on our soil. If I had to summarize my most meaningful accomplishment as president in one sentence, that would be it.
- If I abandoned my principles on an issue like stem cell research, how could I maintain my credibility on anything else?
- The people you choose to surround you determine the quality of advice you receive and the way your goals are implemented
- The key question was whether I felt the call to run.
- Ten years earlier, I had been celebrating my fortieth birthday drunk at The Broadmoor. Now I was being toasted on the lawn of the Texas Governor’s Mansion as the next president. This had been quite a decade.
- I learned a valuable lesson about Washington: Proximity to power is empowerment. Having Dad’s ear made me effective.
- But I came to realize that struggles and doubts are natural parts of faith. If you haven’t doubted, you probably haven’t thought very hard about what you believe.In the end, whether you believe or don’t believe, your position is based on faith.
- But self-improvement is not really the point of the Bible. The center of Christianity is not the self. It is Christ.
- I viewed my first decade after college as a time to explore. I didn’t want anchors to hold me down. If something caught my attention, I would try it. If not, I would move on.
- Quitting drinking was one of the toughest decisions I have ever made. Without it, none of the others that follow in this book would have been possible.
- My problem was not only drinking; it was selfishness. The booze was leading me to put myself ahead of others, especially my family.
- in the presidency, there are no do-overs. You have to do what you believe is right and accept the consequences.
