A few quotes and moments that helped me grow and learn in this book.
On Family Values
Their view (Bush’s parents) of parenting was to offer love and encourage me to chart my own path...they did set boundaries for behavior.
When you know you have unconditional love, there is no point in rebellion and no need to fear failure.
Our household was full of laughter.
On Matters of Faith
Push yourself to realize your God-given talents.
...struggle and doubts are a natural part of faith. If you haven't doubted, you probably haven't thought very hard about what you believe.
I drew strength from family, friends, and faith.
Every life has dignity and value because every person bears the mark of Almighty God.
On Leadership
...allowing your opponent to define you is one of the biggest mistakes you can make...
I discovered that I could accept defeat and move on.
Voters don't want a leader who flails in anger and coarsens the tone of the debate.
Just be yourself.
I learned the importance of properly structuring and staffing an organization. The people who surround you determine the quality of advice you receive and the way your goals are implemented.
I started each personnel decision by defining the job description and the criteria for the ideal candidate...I used my time to gauge character and personality. I was looking for integrity, competence, selflessness, and an ability to handle pressure.
An important part of my job was to create a culture that encouraged teamwork and fostered loyalty - not to me, but to the country and our ideals.
Sometimes the best personnel moves are the ones you don't make.
Not disclosing the DUI on my terms may have been the single costliest political mistake I ever made.
Timeliness is important to make sure an organization does not get sloppy. (on time to meetings etc.)
The first step of any successful crisis response is to project calm.
Getting to know a fellow world leader's personality, character, and concerns made it easier to find common ground and deal with contentious issues...
"If you would win a man to your cause first convince him that you are his friend." (Abraham Lincoln)
You cannot solve a problem until you first diagnose it.
Government can hand out money but it cannot put hope in a person's heart or sense of purpose in a person's life.
"Don't get stuck on stupid." (General Russ Honore)
We would trust developing countries to design their own strategies for using American taxpayer dollars. In return, they would measure their performance and be held accountable.
Success would be measured by results produced, not money spent.
A question I like to ask world leaders: “What keeps you up at night?
Self-pity is a pathetic quality in a leader. It sends such demoralizing signals to the team and the country.
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