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Former Texas governor and U.S. President George W. Bush now holds one more “leadership” title: Masterclass instructor. The former president is offering students advice on how to cultivate “Authentic Leadership” for the latest entry in the “MasterClass Presents the White House” series. Other topics covered in his course include “Accountability Leads to Results,” “Own Your Communication Style,” and “Crisis Management.” Of course, the 43rd POTUS grounds his lessons in his experiences during his time in the oval office (2001-2009), including a moment-by-moment breakdown of 9/11, navigating the initial government response to the 2008 financial crisis, and handling of several other emergencies and natural disasters including Hurricane Katrina.
Bush’s three-hour-long course (divided into several segments by topic) naturally covers leadership principles and advice, but the former Commander-in-Chief also seems to use the Masterclass to explain some of his most infamous blunders and address the most salient historical criticisms of his presidency. Even during the trailer, he addresses the uncertainty of geopolitical decision-making: “As President, sometimes I had information that the American people didn’t know, and I had to make decisions on knowledge that wasn’t evident… That’s just the nature of leadership.”
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He also emphasizes what he believes to be the more positive and enduring aspects of his legacy, along with the strategies he employed when speaking with the “bully-pulpit” of the American presidency. “When I was speaking to audiences, I didn’t want them to think to think I was smarter than they were,” he explains. “One of the keys to communication is to figure out how to enable the person you’re talking to relax.”
Oh, and don’t worry—if you’re curious about Bush’s budding fine art career (yes, he really is (surprisingly) pretty talented in this arena, with an affinity for animal and pet portraits), in the final segment of his course, he treats us to a tour of his painting studio and explains what led him to take up the new hobby after his final term in office. Regardless of your opinion of the self-proclaimed “master of malaprop,” the former President offers an array of interesting subjects available exclusively on MasterClass.
“Authentic Leadership” is available exclusively at MasterClass. MasterClass subscribers can get unlimited access to all 150+ instructors (including other political figures like Bill Clinton and Madeline Albright). A MasterClass subscription starts at just $15 a month.
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