Life of a Leader | Richard King

 

About Richard King

Richard King served as the World President of Rotary International from 2001-2002, supervising the work of 350,000 members in 163 countries around the world. During his tenure, Rotary has it’s greatest one-year growth record in its history, with an increase on some 75,000 new members and a new Rotary club formed somewhere in the world every 8 hours. Mr. King earned his law degree from the University of California at Berkeley and has been a trial lawyer for over 40 years.

 

Interview Transcript:

Alan
Welcome back. I’m here today with Richard King Rick was the international rodeo President 2001 2002. Rick, welcome to the show.

Richard
Thank you. Nice to be back with you.

Alan
So Rick, over the course of years you developed well, you have an interesting history. Let’s just go through this. You know you once on a Vegas entertainer.

Richard
Yes, I’m saying three shows a night of the desert in Rocky centres was my agent. I was performing at woodmansterne in the Oakland Hills. And Bonnie Bonnie rates Father John rate, had a manager named Cecil Roark and Cecil came to see me do the music band. And he said, How would you like to sing in Las Vegas? Well, in those days, Frank Sinatra on the town, it was very exciting for a young performer to be invited to sing in Las Vegas. And I thought this would be just great. But I didn’t realize is that I will be singing three shows a night. And for four weeks at a time. I flew daily from the Oakland airport, to Las Vegas to McCarran field, went on my room had a corned beef sandwich for dinner. 11 o’clock at night that Master of Ceremonies would bring me out. Here he is from San Francisco, the baritone barrister, better known as the singing sewer. I was waiting for the introduction to see. And I’d sing at 11 o’clock at night, and then one in the morning. And then at four in the morning. At five in the morning, I’d be done. Go to my room, have another corned beef sandwich for breakfast. And those days Sherry, I wasn’t married to my wife. So I didn’t have anybody telling me how to eat right. And I’d have a Pepsi Cola, the corned beef sandwich for breakfast, go to my room sleep for three or four hours. But I’d get on a plane and at 12 o’clock I’d be in my office assuming and I’m assuming all day and singing all night for weeks at a time. Those were heady days.

Alan
That’s the the pundits singing sewer singing slang on the fact that you are an attorney.

Richard
I enjoyed it. I met Sinatra and Jimmy Duranty them all out of the big stars in Hollywood. It was a great time to be there when named stars entertained,

Alan
Better said did you Christmas carol with Bing Crosby? Yes.

Richard
Bing and I did a show for the United Way in San Francisco many years ago. And of course i He was a big star. And I was just invited to come along and add a little something to the show. And so it was very exciting for me. Subsequently, I was invited to his home for Christmas eve dinner in Hillsboro, which was where he lived with a second family. And I was very excited about this too. And I was dating his nutritionist, Tammy Taylor. And we went to Christmas Eve and Bing and his wife Kathy, and their three children, young children’s second family. The dinner was traded by trader Rick’s and trader Rick was there himself. I think there were more President waiters from Trader Vic’s and the world was eating. They were all in tuxedos behind this great table, which was a Christmas eve dinner. Mary France was Ping’s daughter was very young at the time, I don’t know, eight or nine years old says Mr. King. Do you know who lives next door to us? I said no, I don’t. She said a real millionaire, which is a true tribute to being had kept his kids sheltered from the fact that he was a pretty wealthy man himself. And she said we’re going to go caroling to his house. So being said she’ll soon rehearse for Mr. King. So they stood there. Catherine, being Mary Francis, the two boys. And they rehearsed for me on my date. Ping didn’t have to pay on he was bald as an egg crate guy, a wonderful human being. And then he said, Let me rehearse for Mr. King. And he’s saying White Christmas, acapella. One of the most memorable nights I’ve ever had. Bing Crosby singing White Christmas, acapella to me in his home, without his hair on in a blazer rehearsing so they could go next door to the real billionaire, and sang Christmas carols for.

Alan
People have had such a wonderful experience.

Richard
I’ve had a lot of them over the years, the night that I was the first meeting. I was invited to sing for Ronald Reagan, when he was running for Governor of California, had Goodman Hall and Jack London Square. And I said to the man who invited me it was $1,000 Play dinner. And I said, Well, I’d be honored to sing for Mr. Reagan. But I don’t want to sit at the head table because I’m meeting Miss pinker. asked me tonight, and I’ve been invited to his home for dinner in Hillsboro. So I hope Ronald Reagan will understand. Oh, I’m sure he will. We won’t put you at the head table, because he and Bing are old friends. So I got to the Goodman Hall and here’s the 1000 people that $1,000 Play dinner for Renlund Nancy Reagan. Sure enough, there’s my nameplate right at that head table, sitting next to Ronald Reagan. I think he was already the governor. He was running for re election as I recall. So I said to the governor, I said, Mr. Reagan, I hope you’ll forgive me, but I have to leave. I know this so rude. I have to leave right after I sing because I’m having dinner tonight with Mr. Bing Crosby. Well, of course Ronald Reagan was very gracious. He always was sort of a lived on being for years and on and on and on given my best. So I scooted out after I sang for Ronald Reagan, when I got to Bings home and hills world, Cathy Crosby greeted me in a household. All Rick things gone to bed. He’s going to Africa in the morning on a safari, affordable taking Safari on a Saturday Safari. And he needed to go to bed early and it’s a little late, but he wants you to come back at another date. So I had a ham sandwich in the pantry with Alan Fisher, their famous English Butler. And that’s the night I was supposed to be Bing Crosby was sort of getting way.

Alan
To have fun a bit here today with Rick king. He’s the former international president bleisure International. So was a entertainer down in Las Vegas. We were visiting about his life, we’re going to we’re going to take a quick break. But after we come back, we want to visit on leadership. And we’ll be right back after these messages.

Alan
Welcome back and visit here with Dave with Rick King is a former international rotary President 1.2 million members 2001 2002 And also do a stint as a Vegas entertainer and day job as an attorney. But I want to move into Rick, few people have had the opportunity to see the things that you’ve seen in life. And in your you’ve had the ability to lead in many capacities. Rotary is a huge one humanitarian causes and making differences in the world. Becoming a leader is it something that is inherited within when solar is something that gets developed?

Richard
I believe it gets developed. I believe there are some people who are born with leadership characteristics, the ability to communicate the ability to listen. But I believe for the most part, leadership was a developed trait. And I read an article in Fortune magazine a few years ago, said wanted mirror corporate leaders, mere managers did not apply. And the article went on to point out the difference between leadership and management. And it pointed out that leadership is a visionary skill. It’s an art that’s developed. Whereas management is run on computers these days, and is a thing that they pointed out was that every year we graduate 1000s of MBA graduates and universities in this country, and every year, businesses are managed in the bankruptcy, because there’s no leadership. Leadership, in my judgment, is the ability to influence people to a course of action. And it requires three characteristics. It requires a conviction and knowledge that what you’re doing is right, something deep within you that you really believe in what you’re doing. Second, it requires a vision, ability to see the potential for the organization, or the business or the society that you are leading. And third, and this might be the most important of all, and requires commitment. I believe that more things are done by commitment and people are motivated by a sense of commitment. And the commitment comes from the experiences that you’ve had. And my commitment comes from years and years and years of seeing humanitarian projects all over the world and the value of leading people to make a difference in other people’s lives because always in inevitably Alan it changes the life of the giver more than a does the receiver.

Alan
You know, conviction. I’ve heard you tell the story before about when you were in the entertainment industry and you had an agent and you went to approach to be the moral world man.

Richard
I was a client of the N Brebner agency in San Francisco at the time. And Brebner was a very famous Talent Agent represented many Hollywood stars personalities, when they made movies in the San Francisco Bay Area. And I was doing television commercials, and still commercials. And it was about two years I was singing in Las Vegas one day and Bremner called me up and said, Come on over right away. There’s guys in suits here, and they want to talk to you about doing a television commercial, that will make you famous. Well, I had just become a Latter Day Saint, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. And I was teaching Seminary in the early morning to high school students. And I was trying to motivate them to lead a good life, one of which was not smoking or drinking. So when I got to an Brebner studio, they offered me a contract to be the new Marlboro Man. And I said, without even thinking about what it would do to my seminary students, I said, Well, I don’t smoke. You don’t have to smoke. You don’t have to smoke. No, we don’t show you smoking. We show you on a horse out in the snow in Montana, or someplace like that in the winter. And I said, Well, I’ve never been on a horse. I don’t know how to ride a horse. That’s No, not a problem. We’ll prop you up and put a Stetson on you. And you’ll be the new Marlboro Man. And they offered me some good money to do this. And it was very exciting because I wanted to help out my parents who had given a lot to me over the years. So I drove back across the San Francisco bridge, Bay Bridge, to my home in San Leandro, very, very excited about being the new Marlboro Man. And at the time, I got to my house, I knew that I couldn’t do it. Because I knew that I couldn’t justify advertising smoking, to my high school, seminary students. When I was trying to teach them one thing. I couldn’t act a different way. It was a tough one for me to turn down. But it was the one the beginning of a lot of experiences that I’ve had over the years, where I’ve had to make a choice between who I really am. I conviction myself who I am, what I believe what I do, is one in the same. And not just what I believe in, what I do is separate things. And it stood me in good stead over the years. I think it’s paid off.

Alan
I’m visiting here today with Rick King from international rotary president and it is a legacy in the area of leadership. And Rick, I need to take a quick break. And I’ll be right back after this mess with Richard King.

Alan
Welcome back i’m visiting here today with Rick King, former international rotary President 2001 2002. Rick, we were talking about leadership and the is there a memory that stands out all the years that you’ve been working with people organizations throughout the world? Is there any story that you have as the most memorable time of working with someone?

Richard
Well, of course, I’ve been a leader in a lot of organizations, primarily in Rotary International over the years. And I believe the best definition of leadership I’ve ever come across is one that says a leader is someone who influences someone else to do something, a course of action, a vision of what the leader has in mind. So I wanted when I was international president of rotary to develop the organization to a higher level in terms of its membership, terms of its club activity, and its humanitarian work. We send millions of dollars Afghan refugees, we build 75,000 new members net around the world 1158 new rotary clubs, but it was the humanitarian projects, who movement forward in our polio eradication campaign that is motivated me to try to be a leader. Trying to get somebody to buy into what it is you want them to do, requires listening to them. And then trying to convince them with influence, about getting excited about making it their idea, as well as yours because when it becomes their idea, then they buy in and they get the job done. When I was the governor of rotary in this district 4050 clubs 30 years ago, I wanted the clubs to do certain things. I wanted them to expand the idea of rotary is humane community and humanitarian service around the globe in a big way. Many of the club presidents resisted me initially, because they were frightened. We were afraid to take it on. So I went to the president of the Hayward Rotary Club, Charlie Plummer, who is then the chief of police. Charlie Plummer was a much old man. He wore his pistol on his belt when he presided over the rotary committee. Nobody argued with him when he came to find me. Great guy foreign for many years was the Sheriff of Alameda County. And you know, Charlie, and I know Charlie, he was a Marine. He was a macho, and he was a man’s man. And I said, Charlie, I want you to get people to contribute to the Rotary Foundation. And he said, they weren’t like that Rick, will kick us both out of town. And I said, I want you to ask them one on one. Would you do it for me? put the blame on me. lay it all on me. And I’ll take the rap for it, so that you can stay in town, and I’ll leave. Charlie called me up at the end of his term with like a kid with a new red wagon. He’d gotten 29 New Paul Harris fellows, which was $29,000 in contributions to the Rotary Foundation. First time the comment ever done anything like that? And he was very excited. At the district conference in San Jose, Charlie Plummer got up and gave a speech. And this is what he said, Rick, I would follow you anywhere. Because you made me better than I thought I was. I’ve got a house full of accolades. I’ve got a wonderful letter from Ronald Reagan, on my service in the community. Leaders of heads of state have given me wonderful gifts, tributes, honorary doctorates, and on and on and on. But the possession I prize the most. There’s a letter from Charlie Plummer, wherein he reiterated what he said that night, you made me better than I thought I was. And I thought to myself, that’s what a leader does. A leader tries to make people better than they think they are, and elevates them to a higher status and ability to get things done, that they didn’t believe was possible before. And I’m rather proud of that. I’m proud that a macho guy like Charlie Plummer, thought I was a leader.

Alan
Who gets more out of leadership, the giver or the receiver.

Richard
Oh, gee, give her always I have received more time and time again. All the experiences that I’ve had, over the years, I remember being in Orange County, speaking to a Rotary Club. And I was greeted by a dear friend of mine, who is in the for covering business. And he was quite a leader in his own right. He said, Ricky, always give more than you give. I said, Tell me about it. Well, we went to the hospital a day to bring home our first grandchild, who was born a week ago on a Sunday, and the doctors told us he probably wouldn’t survive. He didn’t understand the the illnesses and the problems, a lot of complications and birth. So we could go a week later, after one week after her birth. And three or four days before I arrived to give my speech. They went to the hospital, bring home their first grandchild, and then elevate it to 5050. And he said, you know, we went into a hospital room. And this little baby, seven or eight pounds was born, hooked up to a big machine with tubes and wires. And Carol and I put our arms around each other. And we wept. And we prayed. And we wanted to will our grandchild to life. And he said I felt so helpless. And then all of a sudden in the corner of the machine, keeping my grandchild alive. I got the shock of my life, because there was the rotary wheel. And underneath him a little plaque and it said, This machine was donated by my rotary club. And he said my mind race back, Rick, and the president of the club asked for contributions. The machine was needed by the Children’s wing of the hospital, a million dollars, and I think we can do it. So he said I wrote a check. Because you know, Rick, rotor is always asking me for a little of our money. And then I sold beer and hotdogs at the club fundraiser at the Canada fair. Because you know, Rick motor is always out Asking for a little of our time, a little of our money, and our little of our time. And I forgot all about it. Three years later, until last Sunday, when that machine was keeping my first grandchild alive. And then he broke down and he cried, successful businessman. And he cried, didn’t make any difference. All of a sudden, how biggest car was our biggest house was how much money he made. All that matter was at that machine and kept his grandchild alive. And he said, Rick, how did we ever get into an organization that’s always asking us to give? Because you can’t give it away. Sooner or later, one way or another, always. And inevitably, it comes back. And I believe it’s always the giver. Always the one who gives is enhanced and enriched more. We had a wonderful Rotarian by the name of Albert Schweitzer. And he said, Rotary produces the more truly human man, more truly human woman. I believe that to be true. It’s certainly been true in my own life. And in my own case.

Alan
Rick, it’s always a pleasure to have you on today’s show. And that was a wonderful story. Brick King, International President embroidery and has been sharing his thoughts and leadership and also some of the memories that throughout the year. Thank you for being here.

Richard
Thank you. Alan was always a pleasure to be with you. Thank you for what you’re doing.

Alan
Thank you. We’ll be right back after these messages.

 

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This transcript was generated by software and may not accurately reflect exactly what was said.

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