American Valor Quarterly Issue 10 - Summer 2013 | Page 19

pension of 50% for the rest of my
life.” “Oh, stay, don’t go!” These are
immigrant people. “Pension for the
rest of your life: are you kidding?”
And they accepted it then. They didn’t
bug me anymore, but they were still
troubled. Until the day I got promoted
to Brigadier General. And my mother
was there. Little lady about this big
(lowers hand toward the ground). My
father had passed on, but my mother
was there. And she stood there as the
stars were pinned on each of my
shoulders and when it was over, she
walked around for the rest of
her life, saying, “My son, the
general.”

them and then serving as the moral
example for them, the example of
courage, the example of it’s all about
getting the job done, it’s all about
accomplishing the mission and
purpose that has been given to us, if
you do all that for them, they’ll do
everything they can for you.

You must never do anything before
you take care of your followers
because without them you are not a
leader. And so I’ve tried to follow that
in every job that I’ve had and every
capacity that I’ve been able to serve
my country. And I served in one way
or another for some forty years, both
in the Army and as Secretary of State.

Because the essence of all leadership
is trust: trust among human beings.
Trust where you have the leaders
trusting each other, the followers
trusting each other, and connection

AMERICAN VALOR QUARTERLY - Spring 2013 - 19

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

And people say, “Well, is there
anything else you want to do in life?”
I said, “I’ve done it, I’ve had the best.”
I do a lot of things and now I’m
involved in a number of
programs. Every now and then
I do a little politics. I might go
on Charlie Rose and say
So we made it happen. We
something and get in trouble.
made her happy as she went to
And I do a lot of things in
her great reward. But it is such
Silicon Valley. I do a lot of
a thrill to be able to say you
things in education, for profit
served the country. I never
education and nonprofit. But
wanted to do anything else. I
one of the greatest passions I
was in the Army for 35 years,
have in life is to work with
3 months, 28 days and a few
young people: young people
minutes but I didn’t count that Colin Powell serving as National Security Advisor for President who wonder if someone cares
much. See, I loved it. Every Reagan in a photo taken in the White House, April 18, 1988. about them, young people who
day. Every day, even the bad
might not have had the kind
days. The bad days you learn as much between the leaders and the followers, of upbringing that I had or many of
as you do in the good days. The bad all trusting, and it is that trust that is you have had ݥѠ