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Get it done. Surround yourself with the best and the brightest. Be a closer. Stay curious.

11/18/2014

On Friday, November 14, Richard Riordan, the 39^th Mayor of Los Angeles (1993-2001), spoke to the Marymount community as part of the Inspiring Boldness Speaker Series. The Library was filled with students, as well as faculty and staff, who came to listen to the hard-working and insightful Mayor share stories from some of the most pivotal moments of his career. Among them, the rebuilding of Los Angeles after the 1994 Northridge earthquake and digging city out of the worst economic recession in Los Angeles history.

The former Mayor, now an education advocate and the founder of The Riordan Foundation (an organization committed to helping people acquire leadership skills), shared that he found success in his career as well as in his post-political life by adhering to what he calls:

The ‘axioms of leadership’:

Courage
Caring
Empowering others
Relentless pursuit of your goals
Having a sense of humor
Commitment to curiosity and innovation

By living a life committed to these tenets, the former Mayor said, anything is possible.

Former Mayor Riordan’s inspiring presentation was punctuated by answers to questions from the rapt audience, such as sharing a story about being a child of relative privilege during the depression; this experience of being surrounded by economically suffering classmates, he noted, ignited his desire to become a public servant.

Marymount is grateful to former Mayor Riordan for sharing his wisdom, wit and insights with us.

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