Synthesized answer
Clinton suggests that effective leadership involves a commitment to being a "useful citizen" who continues to work for reconciliation, global economic growth while preserving the environment, empowering the poor, and spreading education and technology [1]. He also emphasizes the importance of encouraging young people to believe that public service is "noble and important work" [1, 2].
Furthermore, Clinton indicates that effective leaders must possess foresight, constantly thinking about the long-term consequences of decisions, even those that may not garner immediate attention [3]. He describes this as addressing "the dog that doesn't bark" [3]. While the passages touch upon these qualities, they do not explicitly detail the implicit qualities or values essential for navigating a public crisis or specifically reflecting on one's legacy beyond a desire to continue useful work.
Synthesized from the book passages below. Chat with the book on Feynman for follow-up.
From the book
-when you leave this office? What's the single most important thing for you to accomplish when you leave? The President. You mean, after I'm not President anymore? Mr. Rose. After you're not President. The President. I think the most important thing is for me to be a useful citizen of this country and of this world, because I've had opportunities here only my other living predecessors have had. And I think that for me to be able to continue the work I've done in racial and religious and ethnic reconciliation and trying to convince people that we can grow the global economy and still preserve…
ervice. I want them to believe this is noble and important work. So I think, in a word, I have to be a good citizen now. That's the most important thing I can do when I leave office is to use the maximum--to the maximum extent I can, the knowledge that I have, the experience that I've gained to be a really good citizen. Mr. Rose. Thank you, Mr. President. The President. Thank you. Note: The interview was videotaped at 5:10 p.m. on December 22 in the Oval Office for later broadcast, and the transcript was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on December 28. A portion of this interview…
you talk to people responsible. The President. I think about it a lot. Mr. Rose. You do? The President. Sure. I have to. See, I think one of the jobs of the President, because of the unique opportunity of the office you just described it, is to always be thinking about what will happen 10, 20, 30 years from now, and to allocate some time and effort to make decisions for which there will be almost no notice. You know, right now, I mean, hardly anybody reports on or thinks about the work we're doing in biological warfare or chemical warfare-- the speech I gave at the National Science…
Term Mr. Rose. All right, let me--I look around this office, and I see a desk over there that President Kennedy sat at. And I remember the story he said about the Presidency, and one of the great things about the Presidency was he could walk to work. As you think about leaving this building, what will you miss the most? The President. I think what I'll miss the most is the work, the job, the contact with all kinds of people and all kinds of issues, the ability to make a difference, to solve problems, to open up opportunities for other people. There's almost no--not almost, I suppose there is…
t the thing I love most is being President, doing the job every day. It just--to me, it's an almost indescribable honor. I would never grow tired of it, and I feel graced every day. Term Limits Mr. Rose. If you could change the 22d amendment, would you? The President. I don't know. It's probably not fair to ask. On balance, I think the two-term tradition has served us well. I'm glad President Roosevelt served the third term, because of the war. But on balance, I think it's served us well. Now, you know, I'm young, and I'm strong, and I'm, as far I know, in good health. I love the job. And so…
More questions about this book
- Clinton advises Americans to "go on about their business" while simultaneously urging vigilance against terrorism. What are the underlying assumptions about public psychology and civic duty that inform this dual message, and how might it be perceived differently by various audiences?
- How does Clinton's choice of words, such as describing potential perpetrators as "deranged" or motivated by "political ends," aim to shape public perception of the threat, and what are the potential long-term consequences of such framing on national discourse?
- Clinton highlights "the ability to make a difference" as what he will miss most about the presidency. How does this personal motivation connect to or contrast with the practical responsibilities he describes in addressing the specific threat of millennium terrorism?
- If faced with a similar ambiguous, non-state-actor threat today, how might a contemporary president's communication strategy differ from Clinton's 1999 approach, considering changes in media landscape, technology, and public engagement with security issues?