02:33 Anton�s background

Anton tragically lost his brother, Cherone Louis Gunn, who was one of the 17 US servicemen killed in the October 12 2000 terrorist attack on the USS Cole in Yemen

Hip hop music has had a huge impact on Anton

Anton found peace and recovery from helping other people

06:10 How 9/11 continues to shape our world

It triggered a sense of vulnerability for all, embedding in a subconscious sense that there is an ever-present enemy

Just like 9/11, the Covid-19 pandemic will have a lasting impact on us all, by making us more cautious of each other and more reliant on institutions to keep us safe

We need to move towards trusting people more

09:57 On rap music�s messages

The biggest artists dropped out of high school and didn�t have any formal education, and they have built careers telling great stories through music

One of his favourite artists is Nas

Rap music helps highlight the world�s injustices and it provokes the question of what are we going to do to make the world a better place?

Music is a universal language

15:32 Anton�s inclination to act, as opposed to hoping things will change and improve

From his time studying at the University of South Carolina, he founded and led the first-ever student advisory committee that had a specific focus on the holistic well-being of student athletes

In the 90s, college dictated how college athletes would spend their time, thankfully a lot has changed since

22:02 Why Anton decided to step towards public representation

Anton despises injustice and unfairness

A leader�s responsibility is to do what�s right

�You can�t solve every problem, but you can do something�

From his previous community work, Anton saw for ten years how health insurance was a huge social problem in the US

He decided to be a public official to make free access to healthcare a human right in the US

He met Barack Obama and helped him run for president

When Gunn ran for a state house seat in Columbia he lost by 298 votes, which inspired him to run again in 2008 and he won by 3000 votes

27:20 The key leadership traits of Barack Obama that struck Anton as he got to know and worked with the former president

No one is born a great leader

To become a great and successful leader, you need to invest in personal development and find great examples of leadership

Obama is a great listener, he�s very curious about people�s experiences � he also surrounded himself by people smarter than him, and he was never deterred by his mission by naysayers and critics

As leaders, it�s important to not overshadow your previous leadership role when you move on

Obama�s work post-presidency will have an even greater impact than when he served eight years as president

38:38 On USA being a divided nation

Anton has a degree in history and believes that there is a lot we can learn from history

He believes that this is not the most divisive time in history � it was the American Civil War

The three fundamental questions leaders need to answer those that they lead: 1) Do you care about me? 2) Will you help me? 3) Can I trust you?

Leaders need to answer �yes� to the above questions through their actions

America needs a new breed of politicians who listen and care

43:59 The importance of giving feedback

We all want to do well, so without any positive/ negative feedback, we can easily drift to negative habits

The best organisations have developed great systems to give feedback

Failing companies with poor feedback systems have worse products, lower productivity levels and higher staff turnarounds

47:55 Examples of exceptional and effective leadership

Anton is the author of �The Presidential Principles�, which focuses on everyone�s ability to develop leadership skills but through the lens of Anton�s various encounters with five different presidents � all very different men in their own right

His encounter with George H W Bush (Senior) is that he volunteered for the navy, so he had unwavering commitment to serve other people at an early age and throughout his career

Bill Clinton demonstrated that he was never too big or too busy to seek the needs of the people that he served

53:41 Authenticity in leadership

The real �you� will show up when faced with adversity, so be the real �you� in all situations

People want to see themselves reflected in their leaders

There is no perfect leader

�Service is the prerequisite of leadership�

59:01 The SICK Leadership framework

Selfish, Insecure, Controlling, Know it all

You don�t want to be a SICK leader

Everybody needs a mentor � �you are never too old to learn or too young to teach�

Anton is currently working with three mentors

1:03:03 Anton�s key advice on becoming a better leader

Immerse yourself in reading and apply the learnings

Be in a community where there are other people who want to develop and evolve, by attending workshops or events

Try a new thing to get out of your comfort zone