Tough Calls and Life Lessons I President George W. Bush I MasterClass

Step inside the Oval Office with the newest instructor in our White House series, President George W. Bush. With insight from Mrs. Laura Bush, the former commander in chief opens up about the tough calls and life lessons that shaped his career. Develop and own a leadership style that’s true to you and learn to lead by connecting personally with everyone in the room. Learn more about President George W. Bush on MasterClass at https://mstr.cl/3vZG85R. MasterClass Presents: The White House In this groundbreaking series, walk the corridors of power and gain unprecedented access to global political leaders. For the first time ever, learn leadership, resilience, decision-making, diplomacy, and more from changemakers on both sides of the aisle: former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton; President Bill Clinton; President George W. Bush with Mrs. Laura Bush; the late Secretary of State Madeleine Albright; and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Lessons in this online class include: • The Art of Personal Diplomacy • Look Over the Horizon • Building a Strong Team • Making Tough Decisions • Accountability Leads to Results • Crisis Management • Own Your Communication Style • A Pathway to Politics • Entering Public Service • Prioritize What’s Important • “Happy Are the Painters” More from MasterClass: • David Axelrod & Karl Rove Teach Campaign Strategy and Messaging: masterclass.com/dakr • President Bill Clinton Teaches Inclusive Leadership: masterclass.com/wjc • Doris Kearns Goodwin Teaches U.S. Presidential History and Leadership: masterclass.com/dkg About MasterClass: MasterClass is the streaming platform where anyone can learn from the world’s best. With an annual membership, subscribers get unlimited access to instructors and classes across a wide range of subjects. Stream thousands of lessons anywhere, anytime, on mobile, desktop, and TV. • Subscribe: https://mstr.cl/30SH1wj • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/masterclassofficial • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/masterclass • Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/masterclass

The chief executive has got to be bold within reason and daring in application. I recognize very few people watching this will become president. But I think you'll find lessons in leadership that will apply to your life. As president, sometimes I had information that the American people didn't know. And therefore, I had to make decisions, what was best for the country, on knowledge that wasn't evident. That's just the nature of leadership. So long as you're guided by principle and so long as you

're guided by a cause greater than self, you can endure criticism. Because it's gonna come. One of the things I missed after the presidency was this daily learning. And, thankfully, painting came into my life. It's a learning experience because, with every paint stroke, you learn something new. All right, I'm gonna do another flower. It's important to have a set of priorities that guide you. And your team, your company, your managers, have got to understand those priorities. To me, the most impo

rtant priorities were my faith and my family and my friends. That may sound corny to some, but it helps you reorganize the rest of your life. Welcome darling. LAURA: Thanks. Great. Glad to be here. GEORGE: When I was speaking to audiences, I didn't want them to think I was smarter than they were. One of the keys to communication is to figure out how to enable the person you're talking to to relax. You know, I was a master at the malaprop. Misunderestimate. The press corps reaction was, "Did the

guy really just say that?" [CHUCKLES] I remember, right after 9/11 in the Oval Office, talking about praying for families that had suffered loss. I broke down in tears. If your heart is touched, let people know that your heart is touched. Not everybody is gonna be a leader, but everybody can end up being a better person. The challenge of life is not to attain wealth and status and power. The challenge of life is to improve and to learn to love better. And everybody can do that. I'm George W. Bus

h, and this is MasterClass.