Tom Osborne

I just finished reading Tom Osborne's most recent book, "Beyond The Final Score". It was published by Regal From Gospel Light, Ventura, California, U.S.A. in 2009. I enjoyed it and feel like I know Tom as a friend after reading the book. His candid description of his 6 years in Congress representing Nebraska's 3rd District helped me understand why it was not a good fit for him. His high personal standards made some decisions very difficult. The Chapter on Leadership was perhaps the most revealing.. He refers to the ideal type as "Transformational Leaders" which some call, "servant leadership". This is based on Jesus' teaching that "whoever wants to become great must become a servant to all" (Mark 10:43). John Wooden was one of his "mentors" who taught that "the process took precedence over the end result" and used a Grantland Rice quote to give it emphasis: "For when the one Great Scorer comes to write against your name, it matters not that you won or lost, but how you played the game".  His stories of Fishing, Flying and Family are all interesting as is the role Uncle Virgil played in his life and the development of the mentoring (Teammates) approach. The Country and the World would be a better place if we had more "Tom Osborne's".