By Bette Price

If you were a loyal viewer of Tim Russert's Meet the Press television show on Sunday mornings, you may have been as shocked and disheartened as I was when the breaking story of his untimely death was announced on Friday, the 12th of June. Stunned at the shocking news, I found myself glued to MSNBC for hours as an outpouring of tributes to Tim came flooding through from his NBC colleagues, high ranking politicians and notable people from a vast array of the business world. Not since the death of Princes Dianna can I remember such a constant focus of attention; particularly on NBCs sister station, MSNBC. But, what was different about their focus on Tim was hearing the tremendous impact this one man had had on so many lives. Yes, he was a consummate newsman and moderator of the most top-rated Sunday morning news show, but more than that, it became vividly clear that the man we loyal viewers cared so much about on the air was equally as loved and revered off the air.

As I continued to listen to the wide array of people talk about Tim, both personally and professionally, I quickly recognized that we all had lessons to learn from the way this man lived his entire life-not just his professional life-his entire life. So, I began to make notes. That's why I have devoted this entire edition to the lessons we can learn from Tim Russert- beginning with a personal tribute to Tim and his life as a True Leader.

In the only other article this month, entitled The Impact of Authenticity, I have captured some of the important lessons learned; philosophies and actions that made Tim Russert the unique, inspiring, man of impact that he was and lessons that every business leader today would benefit from if they could follow even just a few.

I think you will find the wisdoms gleaned from this unusual media giant to be inspiring and extremely useful in your own life. Please don't hesitate to email me (at bette@pricegroupleadership.com) with your own respective thoughts.



I never met him face-to-face. But, every Sunday morning, without fail, we got together in my living room; he and me; this incredibly intellectual genius graced with a enormous amount of humility and humanity. For one engaging hour I would watch and listen intently as he would respectfully probe deeply into the opinions of the day's foremost newsmakers, always totally focused on getting to the truth of their positions on the day's critical issues. Yes, if it was Sunday, it was time for Tim Russert and Meet the Press.

But, Tim Russert was more to me than simply the host of television's top Sunday news show-he was a friend I had come to trust and respect; a man whom although I had never met, I knew I could believe in. A man whose fairness rang true with every question he asked and a man whose very presence conveyed the strong underlying values that you instinctively knew guided his entire life. Beyond his political savvy and intense ability to challenge the status quo, you also knew that what was most important to him was his love of family, his love of faith, his love of this country and his enduring quest to ensure that all he did in both his public and private life reflected truth and integrity-the right thing to do. A man of genuineness and integrity was also the unanimous picture painted from every colleague, prominent leader, even broadcast competitor, who spoke of their remembrances of Tim in the wake of his untimely and sudden death.

No question about it; Tim Russert was a true leader- a true leader by every sense of the term. He didn't just give lip service to the concept of building people; he did it. He mentored the young and constantly challenged the seasoned journalistic professionals he worked with to reach new heights and to do it with accuracy and integrity-an aspect of journalism frequently missing in today's blur between "talk" and "news." Just listening to his longtime newsroom colleagues, like Tom Brokow, Andrea Mitchell or David Gregory, it was amazing to hear how their personal and professional lives were so greatly enriched daily by just being a part of his team. One can only imagine the incredible impact of the young, upcoming future journalistic leaders fortunate enough to begin their careers working with this incredible man.

As I look back at the principles that emerged from interviewing the leaders in the True Leaders book I wrote several years ago, Tim Russert had them all:

1. Passion is a prerequisite. Russert's passion exuded in all that he did. It was the one word that friends and colleagues all used to describe the man that they all loved and respected. He showed passion in his profession, passion about those he knew and loved, passion for his home town of Buffalo and it's Buffalo Bills, and passion in the political probing he did so well.

2. See what is not yet visible.. In the book we say that true leaders tend to be more strategic than tactical in their thinking. They have an uncanny ability to sift through volumes of data and selectively ferret out meaningful information to spot trends. Russert demonstrated this visionary talent over and over; most recently when early during the political primary he was the first to declare that Obama would be the Democratic nominee for president. He had the insight and wisdom to see what others had not yet seen and the confidence to tell it as he saw it.

3. Care enough to connect and convey. Tim Russert genuinely cared; he cared about politics, he cared about accuracy, he cared about fairness and without a twinge of doubt, he cared mostly about this country and its people-all the people. As I listened to colleagues talk on MSNBC, many shared stories of how gracious and truly interested he was in talking to people who approached him in airports or restaurants; how he genuinely loved engaging in conversation with all people-not just the known and famous. And, he was vulnerable enough to show that caring with every life he touched.

4. Treat learning like dirty dishes. That phrase came from Linda Huett, CEO and Chairman of Weight Watchers World-Wide when interviewed for the book, was asked about how important continuous learning was to someone in her leadership position. Tim Russert was a consummate professional who never stopped learning. And, as his colleagues so vividly pointed out, he generally set social life aside to research and prepare for each interview of his Sunday morning show. He had a large appetite for learning and never failed to continuously feed his curious mind.

5. Do what's right and tell the truth. This, Tim Russert may have done best. The values that guided him from his early days to his mature life compelled him to seek the truth in all that he did and from all that he interviewed; and he did it the best of any in the business-intensely, yet always fairly and respectfully.

6. Trust is a must. There is little doubt that Tim Russert's great public following came most from the fact that he was to us, the loyal viewer, a man we could trust. No façade, no pretentiousness, no arrogant airs; just a genuine guy who was intensely believable because he shot straight no matter what.

7. Recognize and build people. Listening to Andrea Mitchell talk on MSNBC about how Tim had an eye for spotting great potential talent and then integrating them into the news system, you can sense his strong understanding of building for the future by recognizing and nurturing young talent. Likewise, hearing his seasoned colleagues, it was clear that he continually reached out to touch their lives in caring and life-building ways as well. He genuinely loved people and valued what each brought to the whole of life.

8. Trust your intuition. You could tell that Tim Russert had that sixth sense; he intuitively knew just what to do-what to ask-and when to ask it. While he planned well and did his homework, he used that foundation of knowledge to allow him to go with intuition when he sensed there was more to be learned. You saw this every week with his interviews as he probed deeper to seek the truth.

9. Risk to respond and grow. I have little personal knowledge of mistakes Tim Russert may have made as he transitioned through his illustrious career. But, you can be sure he made a few. Yet, like all true leaders who learn from mistakes, I believe in my heart, that's exactly what he did as well.

10. Respect the importance of balance. Perhaps Tim Russert was the exemplary model of one who did this best. He never forgot the most important elements of what life is really all about- family, loved ones, country, and life itself. His colleagues tell of Tim skipping out of work early to attend a game in which his son Luke was playing. Former presidential candidate John Edwards related a story of a time when Tim invited Edwards to be on the show and Edwards relayed that friends of his deceased son Wade were coming to visit that weekend. "Bring them along," Tim told him, and Edwards did. At the end of the show Tim called the boys over to be on camera. Small examples of the many things that Tim Russert did to demonstrate his understanding of the importance of balance in one's life. He clearly knew that to truly achieve fulfillment in one's life, there must be room for balance.

We have lost a great true leader and the void is immense, yet we each individually have the opportunity to ensure that his legacy lives on. In respect for his true leadership we can serve his memory best if we all do our best to embrace in our own lives the true leader philosophies that made Tim Russert the revered and respected man that he was. We will miss you, Tim, yet the memory of how you lived your life will long live as a model for us to strive for in our own lives. Thank you for so humbly and passionately leading the way.

The Price Group