Bud Hockenberg
Attorney, CEO advisor and former political consultant
Mr. Hockenberg
joined Coppola, McConville, Coppola, Hockenberg & Scalise, P.C. in
2007, having previously practiced with the Des Moines, IA law firms of Abramson,
Meyers and Hockenberg; Davis, Hockenberg, Wine, Brown, Koehn and Shors and
Sullivan and Ward. In addition, his political background provides
the experience, the contacts and the "reality check" to help Iowa
business leaders carefully consider and prepare for a life of political
service. He is widely considered a "door opener" for those seeking
public office as a reputed public policy strategist and political
consultant. He was co-chair of Ronald Reagan’s 1980 Iowa Presidential Election Campaign, served as a member of the President's
Commission on White House Fellowships (1988-1993) and as a member of the United
States Holocaust Memorial Museum Council (2003-2006). He is a member of the
Republican Jewish Coalition Leadership Council and the National Council of
American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Most recently he started a new venture, CEO Independent
Advisor. He provides CEOs with strategic, impartial advice and straight
answers to the complex problems and decisions they face.
First Job
About fifth grade, I was working in the family
used furniture store in downtown Des Moines cleaning the store and delivering
furniture. In seventh grade I was
selling furniture on a commission basis. I made too much money so they put me
back on a salary.
Most Recent Books Read
Life of Steve Jobs
Various books about the Apache Indian Tribe, especially Geronimo
and Cochise
L on T: How do you reflect on your decisions, thinking,
etc.? Do you have a process, place, time?
Bud: I take long walks, leave my mind alone and give truth a chance to show itself. I am an early morning riser and exerciser during which time I contemplate the issues of the day and what I am going to do about them.
Bud: I take long walks, leave my mind alone and give truth a chance to show itself. I am an early morning riser and exerciser during which time I contemplate the issues of the day and what I am going to do about them.
L on T: Other than time, what roadblocks keep you from
reflecting?
Bud: Self-deception about what is important.
L on T: What is more important to you – reaching a goal or
following a process?
Bud: Sticking to the goal, that is the ultimate. The process may change. You have to do what it takes to reach the goal as best you can.
Bud: Sticking to the goal, that is the ultimate. The process may change. You have to do what it takes to reach the goal as best you can.
L on T: What distracts you from reaching your goals?
Bud: Too many goals. There are goals based on things I have to do and goals based on things I want to do and get done. I have to prioritize, use my time better and push myself. I am tougher on myself than I am on others to get things done and meet all the goals.
Bud: Too many goals. There are goals based on things I have to do and goals based on things I want to do and get done. I have to prioritize, use my time better and push myself. I am tougher on myself than I am on others to get things done and meet all the goals.
L on T: Do you use any specific strategies to collaborate
with others?
Bud: Not really, I am a lone-ranger most of the time. I know what needs to be done and what I want to get done. There is the 90/10 rule. If I call you with advice, you will follow about 10% of it. If you call me for advice, you will follow about 90% of it.
Bud: Not really, I am a lone-ranger most of the time. I know what needs to be done and what I want to get done. There is the 90/10 rule. If I call you with advice, you will follow about 10% of it. If you call me for advice, you will follow about 90% of it.
L on T: Do you think leaders are more prone to have poor thinking when it is done in isolation or in some sort of group?
Bud: It depends on the leader. Leaders who are out of touch with reality will make very poor decisions in isolation. You must be in touch and in-tune with your organization, the circumstances of the decision or the political landscape. Some can do this more on their own than others.
L on T: Do you change your mind often?
Bud: Yes, very much. I respect the facts of a matter. Your judgment is only as good as your information. There are usually three sides to every story: his, hers and the truth. I try to spend 80% of my time understanding the opposition or different points of view than my own. This often leads to me changing my mind about my original opinion.
Bud: Yes, very much. I respect the facts of a matter. Your judgment is only as good as your information. There are usually three sides to every story: his, hers and the truth. I try to spend 80% of my time understanding the opposition or different points of view than my own. This often leads to me changing my mind about my original opinion.
L on T: Complete this sentence: I used to think ________,
now I think ________.
Bud: I used to think I knew all the answers, now I think I know better questions.
Bud: I used to think I knew all the answers, now I think I know better questions.
L on T: When have you experienced bad thinking? Why do you
think it happened?
Bud: When I misjudge someone and become overconfident in my understanding of a situation and the facts. It has happened when I wanted to be loved instead of respected and didn’t understand the seriousness of the decision.
Bud: When I misjudge someone and become overconfident in my understanding of a situation and the facts. It has happened when I wanted to be loved instead of respected and didn’t understand the seriousness of the decision.
L on T: Who do you consider to be some of the better
thinkers you know? Why?
Bud: Senator Chuck Grassley, Steve Forbes, Senator Paul Laxalt, David Miller (West Bank, retired). These people were excellent thinkers because they had clarity, realism, pragmatism, brevity, a sixth sense about people, were accessible and understood the difference between hearing and listening.
Bud: Senator Chuck Grassley, Steve Forbes, Senator Paul Laxalt, David Miller (West Bank, retired). These people were excellent thinkers because they had clarity, realism, pragmatism, brevity, a sixth sense about people, were accessible and understood the difference between hearing and listening.
L on T: Have there been decisions and solutions to
problems in which you were able to get everything you wanted without leaving
something out or having to make trade-offs?
Bud: Yes, but not often. The key is timing and being able to take advantage of the moment.
L on T: Who were your mentors?
Bud: My grandfather, Meyer Hockenberg. Kirk Porter, professor of political science at Iowa. O.K. Patton, professor of law at Iowa. First law partners, Sam Abramson and Abe Meyers.
L on T: If someone asked you to teach him/her what you have
learned about thinking and leadership, what would you say?
Bud: I will use an analogy. A pessimist says the glass is half empty. An optimist says the glass is half full. A pragmatic optimist says the glass is half full but because of the evaporation rate, you’d better get moving. I have also learned to be nice to people you meet on the way up the ladder because you will probably meet the same people on the way down.
Bud: I will use an analogy. A pessimist says the glass is half empty. An optimist says the glass is half full. A pragmatic optimist says the glass is half full but because of the evaporation rate, you’d better get moving. I have also learned to be nice to people you meet on the way up the ladder because you will probably meet the same people on the way down.
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