“Put yourself in the path of lightning.”
– Valerie Jarrett, President Obama’s longtime friend and senior adviser. This is what Jarrett told young Barack and Michelle early on in their friendship — years before she or even they imagined he might become President. Jarrett’s rule — one of her 21 rules of life — came up tonight as I was talking with Ann Moore, Time Inc.’s CEO, at a reception we hosted for the participants of this year’s Coins2Day/U.S. State Department Mentoring Partnership. (We have 32 rising-star women from 23 developing countries shadowing American women leaders this month.) Ann, a mentor each year, sat beside Jarrett at last week’s Time 100 dinner, and says that she never did find out from her what those other 20 rules are. Hmm, can anyone tell us?