At 80 years old and with more than a half-century of business experience behind him, billionaire T. Boone Pickens is just getting his second wind. Or maybe his third or fourth wind. He readily admits that he’s skated on thin ice more than once in his life. But skate he did and with each new adventure he put in the long hours and dogged persistence that eventually led to success.
Pickens is again changing direction and heading out to the fringes. His goal this time is nothing less than saving the country by reducing or ending our dependence on foreign oil. The Pickens Plan, which champions wind power, is a gutsy change for a man who made his fortune pulling gas and oil out of the ground. Pickens might shrug at such a characterization. “A long time ago, I came to realize the power change brings,” he said. “Because with change comes challenge.”
The challenge in this case is to redirect and revitalize the ship called America. And Pickens is pushing hard to make the change happen sooner rather than later. In a recent magazine article he was asked what advice he would offer other leaders who faced apparently insurmountable challenges. He responded with, “Make the call. Sometimes the window of opportunity is open only briefly. Waiting is not a decision, although many people think it is. Be willing to make decisions. That’s the most important quality in a good leader. Don’t fall victim to what I call the ready-aim-aim-aim-aim syndrome. You must be willing to fire.”
