The Good Among the Great: 19 Traits of the Most Admirable, Creative, and Joyous People

281 Pages·2011·0.83 MB·English

by  Donald Van De Mark

More Praise for The Good Among the Great
“I have often puzzled over what it is that distinguishes people I
admire for their character as well as their success. In The Good
Among the Great, Donald Van de Mark gave me a framework to
unlock this mystery, through insights into characters as strong and
varied as Abraham Lincoln, Andy Grove, and Meryl Streep. The
book is a thought-provoking, entertaining, and insightful guide to
what makes special people truly special.”
—James G. Coulter, cofounder, TPG
“Van de Mark makes the case for a deeper level of fulfillment, ex-
tracting insights from people famous and unknown, wealthy and
modest, unique, quirky, and accomplished—all of them content.
His book uncovers answers we all seek on reaching our peak poten-
tial and happiness. I read a lot of books on personal development;
Van de Mark’s approach stands out as one that combines clever
observation with inspiration.”
—Jory Des Jardins, cofounder, BlogHer
“Van de Mark has produced a great read in all senses of the word.
The Good Among the Great is fun and takes you along for a look
into a variety of famous people and, in so doing, gives you a much
better read into yourself.”
— Lawrence Lindsey, former Governor, Federal
Reserve System, and former Director, National
Economic Council
“With The Good Among the Great, Donald Van de Mark has created
a deft synthesis of ideas ranging from thinkers such as Abraham
Maslow and Joseph Campbell to business titans such as Warren
Buffet and Jack Welch. In this truly useful guide for succeeding
in the right way, Donald’s keen insights as a journalist, entrepre-
neur, and businessman make him uniquely able to articulate his
deeply humanistic messages in upbeat and constructive ways. This
is a must-read for every person with serious ambition; it is a guide
to a better way of succeeding in one’s life and finding joy, solace,
and pride in the simple act of doing. Van de Mark teaches all of us
how to be better, more effective people and, ultimately, how to lead
better lives.”
—John Fisher, cofounder, Draper, Fisher, Jurvetson
“The Good Among the Great explores how one can achieve simple
success while at work or at play. Do unto others as you wish they
would do unto you! You, too, will be full of love and life, and others
will thank you for being good and great.”
— Elsie Hillman, philanthropist and Vice Chair,
University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
The Good
Among the
Great
19 Traits of the Most Admirable,
Creative, and Joyous People
Donald Van de Mark
CoLUMBIA ISLAND PRESS
Sonoma, California
Copyright © 2011 by Donald Van de Mark
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or
other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of
the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews
and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission
requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,”
at the address below.
Columbia Island Press
19201 Sonoma Highway, #252
Sonoma, CA 95476
Ordering Information
Quantity sales. Special discounts are available on quantity purchases by corpora-
tions, associations, and others. For details, contact the “Special Sales Department”
at the Columbia Island Press address above.
Individual sales. Columbia Island Press publications are available through most
bookstores.
Orders by U.S. trade bookstores and wholesalers. Please contact Cardinal Pub-
lishers Group, 800-296-0481 or visit www.cardinalpub.com.
Printed in the United States of America
Cataloging-in-Publication data
Van de Mark, Donald.
The good among the great : 19 traits of the most admirable, creative, and joy-
ous people / Donald Van de Mark.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0984606122
Includes index.
1. Success. 2. Success in business. 3. Success --Psychological aspects. 5. Happiness.
6. Creative thinking. 7. Conduct of life. I. The good among the great : nineteen
traits of the most admirable, creative, and joyous people. II. Title.
BF637.S8 .V273 2011
158/.1 dc22 2010917322
First Edition
16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Cover design: Kuo Design
Cover photo: Jean Von Trende
Interior design: Marin Bookworks
Copyediting: PeopleSpeak
This is dedicated to all of my
lifelong friends on the lake.

Contents
Preface vii
Introduction 1
Part 1: Developing a True, Whole Self
Chapter 1 · Be Uniquely You 7
Trait: Autonomous
Chapter 2 · Have Lasting Love 25
Trait: Loving
Chapter 3 · Be True-Blue 37
Trait: Ethical
Chapter 4 · Tune out Trends and Traffickers 47
Trait: Unaffected
Chapter 5 · Protect Your Privacy 61
Trait: Private
Chapter 6 · Stand Back! 71
Trait: Detached
Part 2: Assessing the World Clearly and Efficiently
Chapter 7 · Get out the Door 85
Trait: Experiential
Chapter 8 · Don’t Kid Yourself ! 95
Trait: Realistic
Chapter 9 · Chill out! 111
Trait: Laid Back
Chapter 10 · Tap-Dance to Work 121
Trait: Performance and Process Oriented
v
The Good Among the Great
Part 3: Caring and Interacting with Others Effectively
Chapter 11 · Respect All Souls 135
Trait: Egalitarian
Chapter 12 · Laugh with Me 149
Trait: Jolly
Chapter 13 · It’s Not about You 159
Trait: Empathic
Chapter 14 · Be Proactive 171
Trait: Dutiful
Part 4: Earning Your Personal Payoff
Chapter 15 · Delight in the Day-to-Day 183
Trait: Appreciative
Chapter 16 · Go out and Play 193
Trait: Creative
Chapter 17 · Shout out Loud! 205
Trait: Exuberant
Chapter 18 · Dive into What You Love 211
Trait: Joyous
Chapter 19 · Take a Peak 219
Trait: Transcendent
Epilogue ·
Meryl Streep: Someone Who Embodies
All 19 Traits 231
Notes 243
Recommended Reading 256
Index 257
Acknowledgments 265
About the Author 267
vi
Preface
i was a newsman. Like all news people, I had a beat—
a territory I covered. Mine was people who are megasuccessful.
I’ve interviewed hundreds of leaders on the national and inter-
national scene, individuals who have reached “the top of the top”
in fields ranging from business and politics to medicine and the
performing arts. I’ve profiled polar explorers and business titans,
politicians and popular authors, everyone from holistic medicine
pioneer Andrew Weil to “CEo of the Century” Jack Welch.
Everybody knows what these people have accomplished;
there’s no news there. What I did was ask them how they think
and make choices so that I could see how their minds and hearts
work, how and why they are so successful.
After more than twenty years of studying the best and most
celebrated, I’ve learned that not all of these newsmakers are ex-
emplary human beings. Most are okay; many are obsessed and
ruthless, and some are even miserable. Many are feared, if not
hated—not only by their competitors but also by their associates
and staffs. They care little about the plight of others and the world
at large.
Among the world’s megasuccesses, however, is another group.
This small minority is exceedingly aware, egalitarian, empathic,
decent, and happy. Their associates and staffs love them; their
competitors respect them. These people care deeply about others
and often use their positions to help the larger community.
vii