Florida Banking March 2023

STRAIGHT TALK FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK

A MESSAGE FROM FORMER PRESIDENT GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH

BY ALEJANDRO “ALEX” SANCHEZ, FBA PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

A few years ago, my good friend Chuck Nicholson sent me a very special email containing a handwritten note from President George H.W. Bush to a friend of Chuck’s. I have kept Chuck’s email all these years because I wanted to write a column dedicated to the points the late President made in his letter, a code of honor that we should all follow. Our world needs the words of humility expressed by President Bush now more than ever. We have an explosive media willing to broadcast shouting heads on the air, ready to fire away without knowing the truth or facts. Many reporters today broadcast stories without confirming the facts nor the credibility of their sources. We have a political environment that, quite frankly, can be nasty. While politics has always been for those who can take the heat in the kitchen, President Bush embodied statesman and stature qualities, something that is sorely missing today. President Bush, in my opinion, was a man of great honor. In many ways, he was not made for politics. He was humble and carried himself with the humility of an everyday person. In politics, especially today (but true even in his time), one must brag about one’s accomplishments. President Bush lost the 1992 election because he did not engage in self-promotion. Here is a person who became a fighter pilot at the age of 20 to fight for our country during WWII — wow. He went on to become the Director of the CIA, a Congressman, Ambassador to the United Nations, a successful business owner and eventually Vice President and President. He raised a great family, including one son who went on to become President, and the other — our own Jeb Bush — who became one of our greatest Governors in Florida.

In his 1992 reelection, he entered an era requiring that one be more photogenic and telegenic to be successful. President Bush was a doer and did not blow his own horn, two badly needed traits in politics in order to be successful. In the note to Chuck’s friend, President Bush wrote: I cannot single out the one greatest challenge in my life. I have had a lot of challenges and my advice to young people might be as follows: 1. Don’t get down when your life takes a bad turn. Out of adversity comes challenge and often success. 2. Don’t blame others for your setbacks. 3. When things go well, always give credit to others. 4. Don’t talk all the time. Listen to your friends and mentors and learn from them. 5. Don’t brag about yourself. Let others point out your virtues, your strong points. 6. Give someone else a hand. When a friend is hurting, show that friend you care. 7. Nobody likes an overbearing big shot. 8. As you succeed, be kind to people. Thank those who help you along the way. 9. Don’t be afraid to shed a tear when your heart is broken because a friend is hurting. 10. Say your prayers! President Bush’s advice to Chuck’s friend are words we should remember and practice each day. The essence of these words of advice have been said and shared over the course of history, but it was refreshing to see a political leader use them again. Thank you, President Bush, for your tremendous service to our nation. Your kinder, gentler manner will live on.

6 — FLORIDA BANKING THE VOICE OF FLORIDA BANKING