Just became aware of the untimely death of newsman TimRussert. Â He fell victim to a heart attack this past Friday, June 13. What a shame, what a loss for journalism and all fair-minded Americans. Â He was a voice of reason in the journalistic scene and was respected by both sides in the USA. Â Simply because he was honest, well informed, tough, fair, and he asked great questions.
Two lessons to learn from his sudden death of a heart attack.
One, competency in one area does not mean you aren’t blind in another. Â Tim was clearly overweight and at risk, and he knew it. The wise person would have modified his behavior instead of depending on drugs to prevent disease. Â Tim was a wise man, but this was his blind spot. Â If you have a friend, or if you yourself are obese, learn from Tim, and make a resolution to eat wisely and exercise.
The second lesson is one about creativity.  Tim was effective as a news person because he combined the creative principle of deep challenge exploration with the personal attribute of integrity. It is indeed a powerful combination.  This was Tim Russert’s winning formula, and we can all learn from his example.
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Tim, your voice of informed reason, your creativity as a journalist, will be sorely missed.