AFTERWORD

Why did Rich O’Connor succeed? Some would say that he was an extraordinary man. I’m not so sure.

While Rich certainly had a number of amazing qualities, in many ways he was a quite ordinary man. He had faults and problems like anyone else. It was his appreciation for simplicity and discipline that made him an extraordinary executive.

This is good news for all of us who don’t quite measure up to Rich just yet. There is hope for us because we too can become extraordinary leaders if we only embrace the fact that success is not so much a function of intelligence or natural ability, but rather of commitment to the right disciplines.

But there is the potential for bad news here too. We can become poor leaders, more like Vince, or even Jamie, if we let ourselves become distracted by overly tactical and political matters.

The choice is ours to make. Every day.