Dan Quiggle - Lead Like Reagan: Strategies to Motivate, Communicate, and Inspire

Cover image: Courtesy of the Ronald Reagan Library

Cover design: Wiley

Copyright 2014 by The Quiggle Group. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

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ISBN 978-1-118-92845-5 (cloth); ISBN 978-1-118-92846-2 (ebk);

ISBN 978-1-118-92847-9 (ebk)

This book is dedicated to my wife, Luanne, who makes life fun and exciting. You are smart and beautiful and an incredible wife and mother. You make all of us better because of your true love for life. You are the most supportive wife a man could ever dream of having and have always been that way. I have enjoyed lifes journey because you have made it purposeful and gratifying. Luanne, I love you and appreciate all you do for me and our family. Because of you we have three incredible children, Justin, Corinne, and Eric. Wow. Life is good.

JustinYou are such an incredible son and a true leader in our family. You have not only been a great role model for your brother and sister but also for others. I admire the way you treat people and strive to be your best and I am so proud of all the ways you impact others positively. You will undoubtedly change the world for the better because you have a smart mind, a great sense of humor, a deep compassion for others, and a great love for this country.

CorinneYou are extremely smart and unbelievably athletic, and I am blessed to have you as my daughter. I have marveled at your commitment to your studies as well as the sport you love, volleyball. You are a sweet and loyal sister to your brothers and a good role model to all young women striving to mix academics and athletics. I encourage you to follow your dreams and hope you always know I am so proud to be your dad.

EricYou have been given a wonderful brother and sister to emulate, yet I enjoy watching you forge your own path. You have been showered with love your entire life and in turn are sharing your loving spirit and good heart with others. Your passion for life is contagious and energizes me. Continue to dream and work hard. The sky is the limit for you!

I've been blessed by a loving and supportive family. I'm humbled and grateful.

On January 18, 1993, Ronald Reagan's former Vice President and sitting President George H. W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor that the United States can bestow, which recognizes individuals who have made an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural, or other significant public or private endeavors. I was fortunate to be able to help on that day and was thrilled to have the chance to congratulate Ronald Reagan on that well deserved honor.

Source: The Office of Ronald Reagan photograph by Peggy Grande, Courtesy of the Ronald Reagan Library.

President Ronald Reagan's world-changing power as a leader came not from flexing his political muscle but from an authentic consistency of both thought and action that personified humility, loyalty, and respect. Is this a surprising recipe for greatness? Those around Ronald Reagan felt appreciated by him and connected to him, so they sincerely reciprocatednot only with their loyalty, but with their best work and greatest effort.

This book uses Ronald Reagan, my former boss and lifelong role model, as its primary leadership example. By looking back in history we can see timeless principles in action, which provide a framework for future success and excellence in business and personal life. President Reagan often used stories to make a point or relate to his audience. This book incorporates his stories and speeches, as well as many taken from a wide representation of business leaders and CEOs, and from my own personal experiences. Stories have the power to impact and are used to exemplify what I learned and witnessed.

Imagine how fortunate I was to see at a young age what real leadership looks like. And it wasn't just from the president. It was from the entire team that surrounded him. I am extremely careful to never overstate my position in the office. I was still in college as all of this was occurring, which makes it even more incredible that the opportunity even happened. There I was on February 6, 1989the president's birthday and my first full day in his office. I was in the conference room with a small group of people singing Happy Birthday to Ronald Reagan.

That marked the beginning of a surreal, incredible experience that changed the way I viewed leadership and confirmed all the good things I had thought about the president. Politics aside, Ronald Reagan is remembered as one of the most instinctive, intuitive, emotionally intelligent leaders in recent history. He lived a life of impactnot only on the world stage, but also by investing personally in individuals all around him. As a result, he forever changed my life, and the lives of countless others, for the better.

By looking at Ronald Reagan's leadership style and that of other successful leaders, as well as incorporating my own personal experiences, patterns emerge that make it easy to create a profile of specific traits and leadership maxims that you can implement immediately and that will guide you toward greater personal growth and professional success.

Loyalty and teamwork can accomplish absolutely extraordinary things. Ronald Reagan believed in building people up, not tearing them down. As a result of this dynamic synergy during the 1980s, individuals were inspired and energized, patriotism domestically was renewed, nations were freed, and the world was forever changed.