I Like That Story
What It’s Really Like to Be Governor? | Dennis Daugaard #25
What is it really like to serve as governor—and what happens when the public life is over? Jeff Gould sits down with former South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard for a candid, wide-ranging conversation about politics, leadership, public service, family, and life after elected office. Daugaard’s path was anything but conventional. He grew up on a South Dakota dairy farm, attended law school, worked as a trust officer, and spent nearly 20 years with Children’s Home Society before entering politics. He would go on to serve six years in the South Dakota Senate, eight years as lieutenant governor, and two terms as governor. Dennis takes Jeff behind the scenes of the governor’s office—from demanding schedules and endless meetings to the surprising amount of preparation required simply to stay on top of the job. He explains why having a full-time scheduler, something he once thought sounded unnecessary, turned out to be essential. But this conversation goes well beyond politics. Dennis talks about growing up on a small dairy farm, meeting his wife Linda in eighth grade, finding purpose through service, learning to disagree with people without disliking them, and eventually recognizing when it was time to leave public office behind. After 22 years in politics, he decided there were other parts of life he wanted to experience—including more time with his children and grandchildren. Jeff and Dennis also tackle the state of politics today, authenticity in campaigning, the influence of social media, leadership, relationships, and the difference between the people doing the work and those attracting the attention. And when Jeff asks Dennis to name anyone in the world he’d choose to have lunch with, his answer says a great deal about the man behind the title: he’d rather spend that time with one of his kids. It’s funny, thoughtful, refreshingly down-to-earth, and a rare opportunity to hear what public life looks like from someone who has already lived it—and no longer needs your vote. As Jeff says at the end, sometimes the best thing we can do is simply have a conversation with someone we haven’t talked to in a while—or someone completely new. Learn all about America's Storyteller on his website: https://www.ilikethatstory.com #JeffGould #AmericasStoryteller #DennisDaugaard #SouthDakota #Leadership #PublicService #Politics #Governor #Storytelling #ILikeThatStory
