Not gonna lie - I still admire Dalton McGuinty. He wasn't perfect and I didn't agree with all his decisions, but he was a leader, through and through.
His staff held him in the highest respect. He pushed them, empowered them, cared about them. The same held true for caucus members like Jim Brownell. McGuinty would even recognize backbench staff like me when we accomplished something special.
The letter of congratulations he sent me upon winning 2nd Place in the 2008 Toronto Short Story contest is framed and on my wall.
That time he honoured my grandpa and the whole family with some pictures and convos in his office is a cherised memory - especially his graceful handling of my grandpa's unique sense of humour.
Then, there's the time he came to the last Brownell Night. It was magic from the moment he walked into the room.
And of course, there's the annecdotes - the woman in the grocery story, the fellow on the elevator, so on and so forth. I didn't realize until tonight how much I'd missed those McGuinty-isms.
Lastly, there's his infectious enthusiasm and his belief in what leaders stand for.
"People don't look to leaders for despair," he would say. "They can despair on their own. They look to us for hope. They look to us for opportunity."
It's my favourite leadership quote, period.
I doubt I'll be attending the intimate launch, but I'm definitely getting the book.
Can't wait.
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