“If you have a passion for something and do it with excellence, you will prosper. Money and career will follow.”
John Lehman is the chairman and founding partner of the investment banking firm J. F. Lehman and Company. He served as Secretary of the Navy in the Reagan administration from 1981 to 1987 and is the author of the book Command of the Seas. In 2003-4 he was a member of the 9/11 Commission, and he serves as a member of the Foreign Policy Research Institute. He also served as an advisor to Senator John McCain in his 2008 presidential race. Dr. Lehman serves several nonprofits, including Partnership for a Secure America, and he is the chairman of the Princess Grace Foundation-USA, a public charity established after Princess Grace of Monaco’s death to support emerging artists in film, dance, and theater. He and his family live in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. (www.PGFusa.com)
The Interview
John is the uncle of one of my best friends and onetime roommate, so I’ve been around him over the years. But to me he was always just Amy’s fun and genial uncle. I had no idea that he served on the 9/11 Commission or that he was instrumental in helping end the Cold War. He and his family are lovely, and he is completely unassuming. When Amy asked him if he would be interested in doing my interview, much to my excitement, he readily agreed.
