I watched George W. Bush on Oprah last week. It was incredible. I am in the middle of reading his book, Decision Points. After everything I have read and all the interviews I’ve watched with him, I am beyond impressed. I love his heart and his view of life and leadership.
One of my favorite moments in the interview is when Oprah plays a clip of George W. Bush on her show before his presidency. (Watch at 39:00 to see it) She then asks him, “Knowing what you know now, what would you go back and tell that presidential hopeful?”
I loved his response: “Don’t sell your soul for the sake of politics. Have a set of principles that are in violet. Defend those principles no matter what it might cost you in all these endless polls . . . One of my proudest accomplishments is that I didn’t sell my soul for the sake of popularity. I hope people understand that, because it’s important thing in life. If you chase popularity you are chasing something that is just a fleeting moment, but principles last forever.”
It would be well worth your time to watch the entire show. It is filled with leadership and life lessons from someone who has been “the most powerful man in the world”.
