The Ultimate Mentor

Dan Goldin

01.31.20

When Dan Goldin was born, his father put together a life plan for him. From clarinet, to competitive swimming, to difficult mental exercises. Dan's father also inspired him to follow his star.

The Ultimate Mentor

Summary:

When Dan Goldin was born, his father put together a life plan for him. From clarinet, to competitive swimming, to difficult mental exercises. Dan’s father also inspired him to follow his star.

Dan Goldin’s father was a tough mentor, but he was preparing Dan for something big — a lifetime of excellence in achievement, and becoming the longest serving NASA administrator. He describes his father’s influence to Keith Krach.

Keith_Krach

Keith Krach

If you could have a new mentor, anybody, past, present or future, who would it be and why?
Dan_Goldin

Dan Goldin

Michelangelo.
Keith_Krach

Keith Krach

Tell me why.
Dan_Goldin

Dan Goldin

Michelangelo was a great scientist, was a great artist, but he had incredible knowledge. I don't know whether the story is true or not, but it formed for me a management technique, a life approach. When asked how do you carve these beautiful sculptures, Michelangelo said, “I see the angel in the marble, and I carve until I set it free.”

Now just think about what that means. Instead of going chop, chop, chop, working towards something he visualizes the end result, the ultimate of vision, see the end result with clarity and figure out how to work backwards to the starting point.

One of the advantages of being the director of NASA is I was hosted by Pope John Paul II. He had the leadership of the Vatican, they knew I wanted to go to the Sistine Chapel. Myself, my wife, one of the staffers from NASA, and two of my friends had a whole hour in an empty Sistine Chapel. And I was so overwhelmed by the beauty, I said anyone that has the capacity to generate such beauty is someone I'd love to know.
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