Charles E. Smith is the author of the new memoir Journal of a Fast Track Life and Lessons Learned Along the Way. His career has included serving as the chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents, the Tennessee Commissioner of Education, and the chancellor of two University of Tennessee campuses. He also was the editor of daily and weekly newspapers in Tennessee. He lives in Nashville.
Q: Why did you decide to write this memoir?
A: As I neared retirement, I recalled that one of my
undergraduate English professors many years ago had told our class that a
book was within every person; it was just a question of what to say and how to
write it.
Then a few years later another English professor in my
graduate program remarked in a class that anyone considering an
autobiography needed to keep in mind that unless his or her name was George
Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Helen Keller, or someone of that stature, the
autobiography was not likely to be successful.
With those thoughts in mind, I briefly turned to the idea of
presenting my life in a work of fiction. However, on reflection I
concluded that my life had taken so many unusual twists and turns that the
truth was more fascinating than any fictional version I could write.
So, ultimately, I opted to take a somewhat unorthodox
approach by compiling the most significant lessons I had learned over a half-century
career in public life, breaking them into separate chapters, and then filling
in the lessons learned details with specific life experiences, anecdotes, and
observations.
The end result is that a reader may start at any point of
the book -- front, back or middle -- and navigate at will.
Q: What are the most important lessons you feel you learned
through the course of your career?
A: While each chapter stands alone, a recurring theme that
pervades most of the lessons may be summarized as follows: Success as a leader
is largely dependent on one's capacity to build trust, earn respect, and
communicate effectively.
Particularly in the public arena where I spent almost all of
my public life it is imperative that a leader learn how to reach "across
the aisle" and establish relationships with those whose political or
philosophical views may differ.
Given today's divisive nature of our political environment
and the general breakdown of civility in our society, the lessons learned in my
life make my book particularly relevant at this moment in time.
Another important lesson referenced in a number of chapters
is the importance of establishing a strong base of experience early in one's
career.
In my life, I was fortunate to have had three life-changing
experiences between college graduation and my 30th birthday.
Specifically, my early job selections were based not on
salary but rather on opportunity to achieve a demanding experience and to learn
from strong mentors who could push me to the limit and guide me in later
years. My first three bosses did all of that, and more.
In my book, I write with specificity about how the three
bosses provided me with a strong platform that launched my career and made
possible my later successes. My only wish is that I had access to the
lessons learned at the beginning of my career; I had to learn it on my own.
Q: Did you keep a journal over the years, or did you need to
do some research to recreate some of the experiences you wrote about?
A: I did both. Fortunately, I'm a pack rat of
sorts. I saved almost all of my public speeches and reports, internal
memos, and recorded observations of significant moments of my life. These
records were supplemented by research, including the search of newspaper
archives and visits to libraries.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?
A: I believe that my book may be read with value at many
levels. For young people just beginning a career, I hope that my book may
inspire them to broaden their vision, pursue their dreams, and never give
up.
At the same time, my hope is that the lessons I learned
will provide them with a blueprint for success in their own lives. I
believe my life is a living example that it's possible for anyone to achieve
the American dream. My book describes how I was able to do so.
For those readers who may be in mid-career, my book offers
important insight into the decision making processes and strategies I used to
confront the challenges I faced daily in the public arena.
And for those who are at or near retirement, perhaps my book
may inspire them to reflect on their lives and write a book. The words of
my undergraduate English professor should be remembered.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: Inspired by the experience of writing my first book, my
wife and I are currently exploring the feasibility of a second one.
Because of my decision to structure the current book as a
series of lessons learned, I have literally hundreds of experiences, anecdotes,
and observations that just didn't fit within the context of the 32 lessons
learned presented in my current book.
So, we plan to decide by the end of this calendar year
whether to tell the rest of the story of my life or to zero in on one or more
of the lessons learned in the current book and dive deep into a more narrowly defined
focus. We have also not ruled out turning to a work of fiction.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I believe your questions have covered the field. A
final word is that my experience as a first-time author has provided me with
one of the great moments in my life.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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