The Leap: The Resurrection of Al Gore

Last night in London was one of the most memorable evenings of my life. I co-hosted (with Jeffery Merrihue, legendary marketing scientist) a dinner gathering for a handful of business leaders with a particular interest in sustainability initiatives for their companies. Our special guest for dinner was Al Gore.

I had seen Gore in person twice before. The first time was about a year after he had been defeated in the 2000 election. The two of us shared an elevator ride in our hotel. It was 11 a.m. and Gore looked as if he had been hit by a truck. I can't presume to know what was going on in his life that day, but he looked unhealthy and completely disheveled -- I recall thinking that must be how anyone would feel after what he went through.

I was fortunate to be able to spend more time with Gore a few years later at the eclectic TED conference. Gore spoke to the group, and was inspiring. He captivated the audience with a well-written and rehearsed speech, and received a standing ovation. Despite any political reservations that may have existed among members of the audience, Gore was clearly an exceptional speaker that afternoon. Later that night, Gore and I conversed over a glass of pinot noir. We were joined by a Stanford professor, who politely (and then more confrontationally) began to challenge some of Gore's scientific assumptions about global warming. This will be good -- I remember thinking. Like most people, I had developed a healthy dose of skepticism about national political figures. Is global warming just a stump speech? Is this a shallow, but very carefully rehearsed argument? But Gore did not back down, or avoid any questions. For about 30 minutes, I watched as Gore went toe-to-toe with this esteemed academic. If there was any debate, Gore won hands down, and converted both of us to believers in the process.

The next day, Gore and his wife, Tipper, sat in the audience as Tony Robbins spoke for about 20 minutes. "Have you ever had a big dream? Something so close and so amazing that you could touch it?" Robbins asked our group. "What prevented you from achieving it? What stopped you?" Someone in the back shouted, "Lack of money." "No experience," trumpeted another. "Fear," called out a third.

Just then, Al Gore jumped up and yelled "The Supreme Court!!!"

What followed was one of the longest bursts of laughter and applause I can remember. But then Tony came over to Al. "That's what was missing!" shouted Tony. The audience fell completely silent, collectively holding our breath. "Al (long pause), if you had shown anywhere near that amount of emotion, even once during your campaign, you would have won the election. I had so many friends that wanted to vote for you, and you simply gave them no reason." In front of that small room of people, Al bowed his head and agreed. It was a purely authentic moment. I was amazed at what I had just seen, and by Gore's honest self-reflection.

Which brings us to last night. This was not the Al Gore I had seen in the hotel elevator or the polished speaker from a few years later just regaining his footing. This was a man overwhelmed by his passion. He was exceptionally funny, and extensively self-deprecating (a person's faults are often largely what makes them likable). He was so emotionally moving that an executive with one of World 50's member companies called his CFO during the salad course and donated $1 million to the environmental non-profit that Gore supports. It was a magical moment. I felt it along with everyone in the room. And Gore felt it too.

What has led to Gore's amazing resurrection? Sure, the last two years have been good to him, with Live Earth, winning two Academy Awards and recently the Nobel Prize -- that's a historic run of accomplishment. But we are often all too quick to come to the misconception that someone's success has led them to be passionate about what they are doing. It is the same as us day-dreaming during our day job about that elusive next promotion. "If I could just be 'that guy,' higher up in the organization, then I would be passionate about my job. Certainly with that level of pay and prestige I would be happy!" Those with this belief often end up struggling years to reach the end of their rainbow, only to find the pot of gold filled with empty coffee cups and bubble gum wrappers. They are just as unhappy in these more senior roles, if not more, than they were much earlier in their careers. And that's when the real feeling of entrapment sets in.

Passion is not a benefit of success. It is a cause of it.

Gore picked himself up after the emotionally devastating defeat in the presidential election and decided to focus on the environment. I can only image that he did not do so for ego, or a need to get back in the public eye, or from having any remote aspirations that he might end up winning a Nobel Prize. He did it because his station in life, as disheartening as it must have felt at the time, allowed him to sit back and focus on what he was truly passionate about. Redirecting his efforts toward his true passions has unlocked an amount of potential in him that few might have seen. And now, it is unmistakable. He has become so successful because his passion has elevated his play. It seems he had a long political career because that was what he was supposed to do with his life. He struggled to convince the electorate, and probably himself, that he was happy to be there. Fast forward, and he has won a Nobel Prize because he is now doing what he wants to do with his life. I spent last night with a man who has found his true purpose on earth. Al Gore has met his calling.

From the shop floor to the most senior executive, there are those just going through the motions, unhappy and unfulfilled with their work, but plodding along because "that is what they are supposed to do." We ALL have options. In any role, there are ways to expand your involvement to things that really motivate you. To a cause in the company that is important to you. Improving safety or productivity in the factory. Championing an initiative within your unit or division. Volunteering for a non-profit because you want to make an impact.

I have spent a lot of time studying and thinking about how people make The Leap, breaking out of a lifetime trajectory of ordinary to accomplish truly exceptional things. Overwhelmingly, aligning your daily activities with your passions is the beginning of the spark that starts this amazing transition. And it is not the outcome that is important. Work becomes fun. There are moments you know why you are getting up each morning. You get an intoxicating taste of purpose. And astonishingly, your performance starts to pick up, achieving things you and others may have never thought possible.

Al Gore's focus on what he is truly passionate about has allowed him to unlock potential that few may have predicted. And he is having a ball. Much higher levels of success are also likely available to you. But get there or not, bringing your passions into your work will surely make the ride more enjoyable.

Comments

[WIpatriot]

What would the world look like if everybody leapt at once?

[yabu]

5. If those friends indeed want to vote for Gore why didn't they do it? Was it Gore's fault that they didn't do what they otherwise wanted to do? Why don't we talk about the flaws of the voters instead of only focusing on the candidates?
I had many reasons to vote for Gore. If they didn't while they in fact wanted to vote for him they are, well, stupid. They apparently didn't know what they really wanted. Gore is not responsible for confused, waffling voters.

6. I don't know what you saw in that elevator but I saw Gore at Bush's inauguration and he didn't express any emotion whatsoever. He certainly didn't look "unhealthy and completely disheveled." He had his usual poker face. So I think you read way too much into how he looked the day after the SC decision. Apparently he "recovered" pretty quickly without any kind of emotional transformation you think he went through.

7. Emotions do not solve anything in the government. You need to be very well informed about what is going around you and you need ideas. In other words you have to think. If you simply feel that you should change this or that you will achieve nothing just create a big fat mess.
We saw more than enough emotion in the Bush administration. And what the hell was that good for?

I liked Gore in the 80s and 90s precisely because unlike most mortals he was able to keep his emotions under control. You could know what he was thinking but you couldn't know what he was feeling -- if anything at all. He was disciplined like few people can be. Sadly, that's no longer true.

We don't need passion to find out how to create millions of kw energy without putting 70 million tons of CO2 into the athmosphere every day. We need innovation and investment.
I.e. things most voters consider boring as hell.

[yabu]

There are so many things wrong with this piece.

1. I don't know how happy Gore was while in the government and it doesn't really matter. But he sure doesn't have any reason to be happy now. Every day he is smeared by those who for various reasons don't believe anthropogenic climate change is a problem or at least don't believe we should create a low-carbon economy. You can find many on this very site.
It's hard to tell whether he was trashed more agressively while he was a senator or vice president or even presidential candidate or now. Does he enjoy that?

2. Despite everything he and others like Hansen or Pachauri have done carbon emission is going up and there is no sign of improvement. Is he happy about that?

3. If passion would give you the presidency Dennis Kucinich or Ron Paul would be the front-runner. Like it or not if most of the voters simply doesn't like what you are passionate about they will not vote for you. In fact such passion always backfires. You are called an extermist, crazy, alarmist etc.

4. It's easy to say that Gore would have become president if "he had shown more emotion during the campaign". But who can prove that?
Exactly what kind of emotion are you talking about? How many voters who otherwise didn't vote for Gore would have changed their minds just because they had seen that Gore was passionate about climate change? Do you have any evidence or just a fancy theory which one cannot prove or disprove?
What I do know is that for many voters in West Virginia and Tennessee he was already too passionate about the environment. Which is why they didn't vote for him in these two coal states.

[Jueidu]

Thank you so much for this piece. I was still holding onto hope of a Gore run this term, but I realize now it's not going to happen. I will still get out my sticers and my t-shirts and donate my $500 every four years to draft him until he runs or he's dead, or I'M dead. Or things get so bad that I have to move out of the country.

He is still my hero, but every hero is still just a human inside, and at some point they have to do what is right for them. I know if he felt he could only do what needed to be done to save the planet from the White House, he would run. That is what keeps me hopeful, because I have faith in his decision to keep working in the real world. Hopefully, when things are more on track and pretty much run themselves as far as reversing global warming goes, he'll run for president, to fulfill his second biggest dream, and ours. I just hope he never has to run because he has no choice, because he really feels that is the only way to save us all.

Al Gore is my hero.

Superman wear Al Gore pajamas.

[ConnieInCleveland]

The environment is 'one' of Al Gore's passions. His book 'Assault on Reason' is an example of his depth past the environment. Al Gore realizes, George W. and the neocons are an 'Assault on Reason'. How our country has changed in the past 7 years is an 'Assault on Reason'.
Al Gore is a Statesman. I wanted him to run so bad I could taste it. After watching Chuck Hagel on Real Time with Bill Maher, I had decided Al Gore running as a Democratic candidate for President and Chuck Hagel as a Republican candidate for Vice President would be an unbeatable ticket. An 'American Party' is the answer America needs. America is so divided, we need individuals willing to speak 'Truth to Power' and put America FIRST, party SECOND!
Wouldn't it be great, an 'American Convention', with all Americans participating in deciding the direction of the country for the next 8 years. Mainstream media has been a large part of the problem during George W.'s presidency. They spin fiction and fact as though they are equal. America needs someone willing to stop the spinning, it is making America dizzy. My husband has said, this is the first time in his life, 'Fact is open to interpretation'. The Earth isn't really flat, even if they put on two different views, the earth is still round. Al Gore could stop the spin. He could challenge the spin from day one. Gore/Hagel '08 would have been a wake up call to America. No more spinning, the earth is round, but the American people don't have to spin. Facts over fiction would stop the spin. America is one country, not two. American first, democrat or republican second.

[lovethesinner]

I've thought about this for a while now. I have a weird theory about why Gore isn't running for President, even though I want him too. (the afrontery!)

It's based purely on my reaction to a speech he gave when Bush got caught breaking some law, (I think it was the warrentless wiretapping) and he laid out his moral outrage at some gathering.

It wasn't the Gore of 2000, it was the one Mr. Smith is reffering to in this post.

Anyway, Gore hit it out of the park, and I actally expected Bush to be drug through the rose garden to a paddy wagon that very day. Then, I thought he's probably getting ready for another run for President. He was clearly ready to do something.

Here's my theory. Gore knows he can talk. He knows he has the passion. I think he's sincerly motivated to get the job done and he's figured everything out, and he'd decided the best way to do it is to stay out of the race and wait for the right moment.

He'll pick his words very carefully, and he'll increase his carbon footprint by double when he finally lets go.

But, he's going to explain in very easy to understand terms that either we vote these bums into submission, or there is no need to keep voting.

And he can do that better as a free agent, than if he tried to play on this team of invertabrates we call Democrats.

(end of theory)

But till then...

Gore/Obama in '08

[LindainSFNM]

But I should add. I know our elections are not laid out very fairly and this timing may have hurt any ideas with everything else he does have going on.

But, he must know that the changes we need to make, are not going to be done by any of these current Runners and if he truly belives in what he is saying, he will have to dig down deep where he has held that other passion to comes rescue us.

Superman wears Al Gore pajamaas.

[LindainSFNM]

Thank you for such a great story.

I will agree that his calling is to be free to speak and work on issues that are important, but his true calling, as he has always wanted, is in the White House.

At least his reasons were always good intentions to move us all forward. Always ahead of his time with his vision.

This path was given and he took it all the way. But as it enabled him to concentrate on one of his most important and passionate issues, to save our planet, he must take those final steps where only one can.

I will wait for him to, as he said, trust him to know whats best and follow his path as he needs to get us to a good place. I'm storing that energy in a lock box, that only he has a key for, and when he's ready, he can unlock it.

Time for
a COOL
change,
GORE
2008

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Cogito ErGO GORE.

Draft the man already.

This planet needs saving.

[BadChristian]

I really wish Gore would run, and put some pictures on that bare wall.

I believe that Robins friends were looking for the perfect, and ended up voting for what? A real fuckin' liar of the first order. Wish the little princes could have settled.

[kevenseven]

I do not believe Al has won any accadamy awards.

The movie to which he gave voice won best documentary, but Al was neither the Director nor Producer of that effort, so he was not the receipient.

I think he did win an Emmy, but that is a different kettle of beans from an Oscar.

Neither of which is worth a fraction of the Peace Prize that Al did win.

I shook his hand in 1988 and shouted in his face, and he grinned like the happiest dude ever, I'll never forget. I hope to meet him again.

[jmpurser]

Agreed that Gore is becoming (has become?) one hell of a statesman. A valuable contribution to the national and even world stage that this country can be proud of.

But as a politician he's the guy who thought Lieberman was the right Veep choice.

[ksyellowdog]

In 1998, Al Gore was two years into his second term as Vice-President. Do you mean the year 2000?

[sorenmeetsdylan]

"[L}egendary marketing scientist"? The very idea that such a thing as a marketing scientist (more like an alchemist) exists is deplorable enough. That such a monster could become a legend to be revered (albeit by half wits) is evidence of how low man is now.