Stories of Vision and Courage from America's Leaders
June 11, 2012
Capt. "Sully" Sullenberger became a national hero after successfully landing a disabled airplane on the Hudson Riverâand then became a bestselling author with his autobiography, Highest Duty. Having been lionized as a true leader during his Hudson ordeal, Sullenberger uses his new book to explore the nature of leadership itself. He describes his post-fame meetings with "a number of distinguished Americans" from a diverse range of professions who "embody the credo of âleadership by personal example'Â " with the goal of creating "a contemporary version of John F. Kennedy's âProfiles in Courage'Â "âand for the most part, Sullenberger succeeds. The highlights of the book include his encounters with Thad Allen, U.S. Coast Guard chief of staff, who describes a range of "crucible events" that forged his leadership values, including his work on the Hurricane Katrina disaster and the Gulf oil debacle; Tammy Duckworth, lieutenant colonel in the Illinois National Guard, whose "incredible dedication to serving others" led to her losing her legs while serving in Iraq ("I could've lost both arms along with both legs and I would have been okay, knowing that I did my job"); and Robert Reich, professor and former U.S. secretary of labor, in an excellent chapter on the "three dangerous seductions" of martyr, messiah, and truth teller that potential leaders must avoid.