Leadership Q&A: Vernon Jordan

Newsweek, February, 2007 by Lazard Freres

During more than 40 years in public life, Vernon Jordan has headed the United Negro College Fund, led the Urban League, been a confidant to U.S. presidents, served on various corporate boards--and most recently, advised President George W. Bush as a member of the Iraq Study Group. In the latest in his series of interviews as part of the NEWSWEEK-Kaplan M.B.A. program, NEWSWEEK Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Richard M. Smith spoke with Jordan, who is senior managing director at the investment bank Lazard Freres. Excerpts:

SMITH: Why do some politicians fail and why do some corporate executives fail? What are the common threads?

JORDAN: I think some people fail because they have tin ears--they don't listen. Other people fail because they don't have competent...

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