Questions for James Citrin

[Jessica]

Do you have a question for James Citrin? Reply to this message to start the conversation!

[L18im]

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Jessica wrote:
Do you have a question for James Citrin? Reply to this message to start the conversation!

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Jimmy:
Of all the great people you interviewed to write this book, which:
1. Would you most like to spend more time with and why?
2. Did you find hardest to get to know?
3. Would you most like your children to emulate, and why?

[JamesCitrin]

Of all the great people I met or studied for the book...

1. I would most like to spend more time with Bono, for a subtle reason. He stimulates passion and creative thinking and has the energy and drive to see good ideas into action. In other words, when you're with Bono alone or in a group, he brings out the best in others and then is able to channel back that best from others into his key areas of focus. This is a pretty amazing talent.

2. I suppose I found Mia Hamm a little hard to get to know. Our interview was actually by phone so that obviously contributed, but I've developed many great relationships on the phone so I don't pin it on that. I think she's a little shy and thoughtful. The interaction wasn't wildly creative like with Bono, or Terry Bradshaw, or Tony Hawk, or Sean Fitzpatrick. But interestingly, when I went back and read the transcript, Mia's thought process and examples were crystal clear and therefore very impressive.

3. Would you most like your children to emulate, and why? Like probably most parents nowadays, I'd have to say Tiger Woods. He is simply excellence personified. He is the greatest gift of natural talent and works the hardest in both physical and mental ways. His ability to conentrate and be cool under pressure is inspiring. And he has proven that learning and taking risks, even when you're the best in the world, is better than trying to hold on to what got you there. He's reinvented his swing three times in the past ten years. He also seems to genuinely love what he does, have you ever seen him smile and his eyes light up? He's handsome, financially spectacularly successful, and so bright, and on top of all of that, he is a genuinely nice person. What a combo!

Thanks for the great questions.

Jim

[Jessica]

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JamesCitrin wrote: Of all the great people I met or studied for the book...I would most like to spend more time with Bono, for a subtle reason. He stimulates passion and creative thinking and has the energy and drive to see good ideas into action. In other words, when you're with Bono alone or in a group, he brings out the best in others and then is able to channel back that best from others into his key areas of focus. This is a pretty amazing talent.

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That is an amazing talent!

I've been a fan of U2 since Boy was released (1980, back when everyone still called their singer "Bono Vox"). They were all so young, but it was clear that the band's frontman had charisma by the loads.

Jim, do you think there's an innate "it" that people like Bono (or Tiger) have? I know they work very hard at what they do, but what's the extra element that makes them so magnetic?

[Jessica]

Hi Jim,

You interviewed so many amazing people for your book, and it made me wonder -- how easy or difficult it was to gain access to them?

Also, was there someone you wanted to interview that you couldn't?

[JamesCitrin]

I don't think there is one single "it" ... there are obviously natural talents of many forms across all the various intelligences -- physical, mental, creative, spatial, etc. and aligning a natural talent with an activity for which that talent is the very essence represents one type of "it." Another "it" is charisma, that natural ability to connect with and attract people that many great people and leaders have. In the book I wrote a special appendix chapter dynamism and charisma and how they differ. To be very brief about it, charisma is a powerful quality that can be a force for good, or just as easily a force for bad -- many of the most renowned despots, to take an extreme example, were highly charismatic. So yes that's an "it" but not to be taken lightly.

Jim