I Interviewed Jimmy Carter When I Was 26 Years Old. It Was Not My Finest Moment—and It Changed My Life.

When I first met erstwhile President Jimmy Carter, I had a batch to learn.

It was nan precocious '90s and I was a rookie journalist covering a recreation Carter took to Colorado to thief 100 at-risk younker acquisition nan transformative powerfulness of nan outdoors.

For a caller reporter, an mobility and reply pinch a erstwhile president of nan United States is nan opportunity of a lifetime. And yet I went into it embarrassingly unprepared and pinch nan cognition that nan Nobel Prize victor was fortunate to beryllium getting immoderate look clip pinch 26-year-old me. I was arsenic naive arsenic I was confident, and that's an unpleasant pairing.

Thankfully, because he was a erstwhile business owner, Naval officer, and leader of nan free world, Carter had plentifulness of acquisition pinch guys for illustration me.

Instead of taking nan "dumb questions get dumb answers" onslaught to our mobility and reply he adopted a posture of respect and mentorship. He didn't dainty maine for illustration nan personification I was being successful that moment, he treated maine for illustration nan personification he believed I could spell someday.

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At 1 constituent successful our conversation, I bluntly asked, "How tin we get group to extremity pulling guns connected each other?"

Although a well-intentioned mobility referring to nan world community, successful nan sermon of a communicative astir at-risk younker my mobility could easy personification been seen arsenic a callous, simplistic affront to his 100 guests.

But Carter didn't return offense. Instead, he took an opportunity to validate my imaginable while explaining really for immoderate people, a deficiency of belief successful their ain imaginable tin root them — including nan young group he was location to animate — to make susceptible decisions.

"This is point that a personification for illustration you, aliases for illustration me, can't moreover envision because we cognize what our limitations are, but we too cognize what our potentials are, and we personification ambitions for our imaginable to beryllium realized successful immoderate fashion," he gracefully explained. "We judge that erstwhile we make a determination it will make a difference. They don't personification that, truthful we effort to thief them get it."

And that's really it went for nan afloat interview. The erstwhile president answered moreover my astir uninformed and uninspired questions arsenic though they were being asked by nan astir insightful and influential newsman connected earth. He treated maine for illustration I was successful nan beforehand connection successful nan White House briefing room. He saw nan champion type of me, and it was to that personification that he directed his answers.

I walked retired of that room elevated.

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That was complete 20 years agone and since past I've had nan chance to meet and activity pinch hundreds of caller hires successful entrepreneurial ventures each complete nan world. Most of them personification been humble, driven, and talented beyond their years, but occasionally I find myself staring astatine a type of my 26-year-old aforesaid — personification pinch overmuch irritants than experience.

And while it's tempting to disregard a caller squad unit for their baseless bravado aliases off-putting apathy, I ever return a infinitesimal to retrieve nan measurement President Carter treated maine and effort to show my caller colleagues a type of themselves they've ne'er met before.

This onslaught doesn't ever work, but erstwhile it does, nan ventures I'm information of are overmuch successful, and I find myself surrounded by kind, supportive, and insightful people.

Related: Encouraging Your Company's Young Employees Is Crucial for Long-Term Success. Here's Why (and How to Do It).

I precocious sewage a convey you connection from a erstwhile workfellow that read, "Although it seemed I wouldn't past overmuch than a less weeks, you didn't springiness up connected me. You believed successful me, challenged me, and taught maine everything I know. You've made maine smarter, pushed maine to beryllium a amended person, and you took a chance connected me…You are nan astir influential mentor I've ever had."

I really sewage nan chance to springiness nan erstwhile president a akin relationship of gratitude. Six years aft our first interview, he gave maine different opportunity to meet pinch him—and I didn't squander it. I came into that room prepared, respectful, and a amended type of myself — I came into that room personification to nan personification he'd introduced maine to years before, and I took nan opportunity to convey him for nan gift of that introduction.

As Jimmy Carter's life and passing proceed to make world headlines this week I'm reminded of that impactful gift he erstwhile gave me. It's 1 I'm happy to banal pinch you, and I dream it will thief you elevate your guidance style and wide worth of life arsenic it has for me.