Fun Is a Leadership Skill Too

A note to young leaders.

Life is short, don’t forget to have some fun along the way.

During his term as Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger was heckled rather crudely by California Assemblyman, Tom Ammiano.

When Ammiano later sponsored a bill to grant the Port of San Francisco expanded financing power, Schwarzenegger not only vetoed the bill – he took the opportunity to send Ammiano an equally crude reply.

It’s customary for US Governors when vetoing a bill to write a brief note to the legislature explaining their reasoning. Channeling his inner-Terminator, Schwarzenegger used the note to deliver a cleverly disguised “f#%k you” message.

To his credit – Ammiano, a former standup comic – took it well, calling the message “very creative” and saying: “I guess we’re even now”.

Everyone had a chuckle and the caravan moved on.