Finish Strong

Dick Capen has had a long, distinguished career during which he has proven time and again to be a wise and effective leader in business, journalism, community affairs, and public service. In every aspect of his life, Dick has incorporated his personal values – values shaped by his strong spiritual convictions. In Finish Strong, Dick identifies the values that are key not only to achieving personal success but also to creating the best futures for our families and our communities. While many decry moral decay in this country, he acknowledges our difficulties and provides a welcome message of hope and personal responsibility. In researching Finish Strong, Capen polled over two hundred people – from political leaders to ordinary citizens – in an attempt to discover the core values that had served as the moral compass in their lives. Capen called upon his impressive network of national opinion leaders – forethinkers such as Colin Powell, Sam Nunn, Ann Landers, John Gardner, Dave Barry, Ruth Graham Bell, J. W. Marriott, and George Gallup. Included here are the moving, intimate, and sometimes surprising values shared by people like Barbara Jordan on personal responsibility and integrity; Gerald Ford, who esteems a sense of fair play, ambition, common sense, and community service; and Don Shula, who extols family values above all. Despite the diversity of those who participated, several values came up repeatedly. Familiar values such as authenticity, self-esteem, and excellence; unexpected values like optimism and self-renewal; life-enriching values, including compassion, family, and faith; and Dick Capen’s cornerstone value: finishing strong.