Page 151 - Leadership Lessons of the White House Fellows

THE LESSONS

Ron Quincy took a tremendous personal and professional risk in
assuming responsibility for getting Coretta Scott King safely in and out of
Soweto that day, but if he had it to do all over again, he wouldn’t change
a thing. “To have had the opportunity to play a very, very small role in the
reshaping of U.S. and South African relations is one of my proudest
moments as a White House Fellow and in my entire career,” he said. “Was
it worth the risk to go into Soweto? Absolutely.”
Both Patricelli and Quincy knew exactly what it was they wanted to
achieve, and so they plotted a course that led to that goal. As opportuni-
ties and obstacles arose, they dealt with them decisively. They let nothing
deter them, thus inspiring confidence in the people around them. A con-
fident team guided by a bold leader willing to assume large risks is an unde-
niable force.
Leaders take personal risks and sometimes lay it all on the line to meet
a challenge. Dale Carnegie once said, “Take a chance! All life is a chance.
The man who goes the furthest is generally the one who is willing to do
and dare. The ‘sure thing’ boat never gets far from shore.” Leaders also cre-
ate a culture that encourages their people to take risks and learn from the
inevitable mistakes that occur when risks are taken. Leaders constantly
challenge their team to take risks, and that encourages creativity and leads
to organizational breakthroughs.

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