John Crittenden Sawhill (June 12, 1936 – May 18, 2000) was president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy and the 12th President of New York University (NYU).
Born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1936, Sawhill graduated from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs in 1958. He earned a PhD in economics in 1963 from New York University, where he served as professor of economics. He was named president of New York University in 1975, serving until 1979. At a trying time in NYU's history, he received widespread acclaim for bringing about an academic and financial turnaround at the country's largest private university.
His research focused on the nonprofit sector, and he joined the Harvard Business School faculty in 1997 as part of the School's Initiative on Social Enterprise. His seminar Effective Leadership of Social Enterprises prepared students for leadership roles in nonprofit management.
Earlier he held several government positions during the Nixon, Ford and Carter administrations. Those included being Deputy Secretary of Energy; Chairman of the U.S. Synthetic Fuels Corporation; Administrator of the Federal Energy Administration (appointed by President Nixon, he resigned that position in October, 1974), and Associate Director for Natural Resources, Energy, Science and Environment in the Office of Management and Budget. In 1977, he was elected to the Common Cause National Governing Board.
During his ten-year tenure, The Nature Conservancy became the world's largest private conservation group and protected more than 7 million acres (28,000 km²) in the United States alone.
Sawhill, a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School and president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy, died of complications from diabetes May 18, 2000 at the age of 63. His wife was Isabel Sawhill and his son was James W. Sawhill.
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Some of their strengths
John Crittenden Sawhill has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Intelligent, Intuitive, Passionate, Communicative, Creative, Imaginative, and Practical.
Charming and Quick-witted
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, John Crittenden Sawhill is someone who is a charming, quick-witted, and energetic person who combines passion and intelligence with an ability to feel what others are feeling and to effectively communicate with them. A person who sees life as a journey not a destination.
Adaptable and Versatile
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know John Crittenden Sawhill well know them as someone who can be adaptable, flexible, and polite, like a flower or a sapling.
Methodical and Exacting
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe John Crittenden Sawhill as someone who is careful, methodical, and a perfectionist.
A person who forms successful business partnerships, who appreciates the variety the world has to offer, who takes a frugal approach to life and tends to be a workaholic, and who engages in things that let them express their opinion.
Dynamic and Imaginative
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, John Crittenden Sawhill is someone who can bring a purifying element to situations, and who is a risk-taker with vision and imagination.
They are also someone who is active, giving, optimistic, and cheerful, and who possesses a charisma that attracts friends and admirers.
Logical and Reasonable
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, John Crittenden Sawhill tends to be someone who is understanding, logical, and reasonable. Who can be intellectual and intuitive, speak the truth at any cost, be witty and sociable, and live life to its fullest.
Some of John Crittenden Sawhill's challenges
While John Crittenden Sawhill has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, John Crittenden Sawhill can be Hypocritical, Self-centered, Indecisive, Unrealistic, Hesitant, Narcissistic, and Sensitive.
Hypocritical and Self-centered
One of John Crittenden Sawhill's key challenges is that they are someone who can be perceived as hypocritical and self-centered.
John Crittenden Sawhill must also exercise caution as they can have a hard time reconciling wants and needs, and can be short-tempered and aggressive, and can be excessive and unrealistic, and can have difficulty dealing with responsibility, authority, or criticism.
Sensitive and Critical
John Crittenden Sawhill is someone who can be insecure, critical, and pessimistic, who can have difficulty relaxing, can be possessive and jealous, and who can have difficulty listening to others' opinions and perspectives and make hasty decisions.
Indecisive and Distracted
Finally, John Crittenden Sawhill also can have a hard time staying focused and can easily become restless.