Author Thought Leadership

I took Rajesh Setty to see Charlie Rose speak at the flint center last evening. Rajesh is a great guy and worth following.

First, let me say that putting aside 2-4 hours to spend time with one person is absolutely worth the time. This was a suggestion made by Jason Alba the last time he was speaking in the bay area. Note to self: Make more time on the calender to do this.

The series we saw was part of the Celebrity Series put on by Dick Henning. He does a great job!

Regarding Charlie Rose’s talk, I had three immediate observations.

1. Just because you get paid the big bucks, doesn’t mean you can’t ask for help. Charlie Rose has interviewed some of the most amazing individuals in the world. What he tried to do in his talk was share his view on world politics and unfortunately, it was just not that interesting.

   What he should have done is talk more about his life (the info he did disclose was quite fascinating) and talk about those he interviewed. I’d be interested in both what happened in front of and more importantly what happened behind the camera. When Dick Henning asked him questions at the end, the answers were fascinating.

   The point is simple. Test drive your presentations and even if you get paid the big bucks, it’s worth having a coach give you hints and ideas to fine-tune your message.

   In this case, the message should not have been Charlie’s view on the world (unless of course, it was done better), but there are very fascinating people in the world with some great messages and here are some of the highlights. Actually, let me share with you a couple highlights in points 2 and 3.

2. In answering a question from Mr. Henning, he mentioned that William F. Buckley “Lived a life that was so full and so engaged.”

   Isn’t that a fantastic thing to say about someone’s life. We should all be able to say that! Live life for today. Get the most out of it, not just by what you can grab for yourself, but more importantly, what you can do for others.

3. Also on the William F Buckley answer, he mentioned that Buckley said you must do three things in life: A) Be a parent, b) Write a book, c) Plant a tree.

   It’s funny. I’ve been giving a lot of thought to my hires over the past couple of years for my business. Those that have been parents tend to work out better. It’s because of their ability to talk to different people with different mindsets and needs.

   Planting a tree must be an metaphor for giving back to the world. It would certainly simplify Al Gore’s message is he said to everyone in the world to go out and plant a tree.

   Finally, writing a book is certainly top on my list and it is truly an opportunity to share your message in a vehicle that can bring so many other benefits.