Friday the 13th was a sad day. I lost a friend. No, not a personal one. A political buddy. A colleague. Someone I could count on every Sunday to grill and drill the politicos and power brokers until many of them shrank in fear. Tim Russert of Meet the Press died unexpectantly on Friday.
Each Sunday, his voice, now suddenly silent, shook the walls of Washington and sent shockwaves throughout the world. His was the voice of the common man, yours and mine. It will be impossible to replace him.
With all of his co-workers and friends offering their immediate eulogies over the weekend, it was impossible not to find a positive story about Tim from someone. It turns out that his credibility that poured through the airwaves was real. He was authentic. He showed up. He cherished his family and loved his work. He was passionate about both and it sparkled in his ever-present smile.
Some friend I am. I didn't even know that he was not a trained journalist, but rather a lawyer, turned politico, turned broadcaster, turned tenacious journalist. He will be remembered as one of the best ever no matter the medium.
As an educated journalist and former newspaper publisher, I am always on the lookout for someone in the media to step up and speak truth to power. That is what is necessary when it comes to shining a light on darkness and the survival of the Fourth Estate as a viable alternative to a closed government. Truth tellers are not easy to find. And these days, my favorite truth teller may be viewed as someone else's liar and vice versa.
Tim, rightfully, dealt with facts and probing questions that most often had a follow-up illuminating someone's past quote that was a blatant contradiction. He was always a gentleman (even when I didn't want him to be) but his steely eyes made the liars twitch. It made my Sundays.
Real investigative journalism is an art form. From my view there are not many practicing today. With hubris comes decline. I used to think that the Watergate boys were the best. But since those turbulent times, they and others like them seem to have bought into their own press clippings. Their credibility with me shrinks as their fame rises.
Tim did not seem to allow ambition to cloud his view. He took over a stale program in 1991 and transformed it, allowing MTP to be relevant once again. He prepared for each Sunday as if going into battle. Even though he knew the guests well, he did not shrink from his duty to extricate the truth and tell America what was really happening. Unfortunately, even he was tricked a few times.
If you have read my book The Offsite: A Leadership Challenge Fable, you know that I feel leadership is a way of life. It is a moment-to-moment choice about creating open, honest and authentic relationships that urge others to want to discover their power and focus on what matters to them and their community.
Leaders are credible, visionary and challenging. They welcome learning and teaching moments with others. And they celebrate individual and group success. Hey, they're like Tim!
Goodbye, my friend.
Robert H. Thompson is the author of The Offsite: A Leadership Challenge Fable. You can reach him at www.leaderinsideout.com.
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