Editor’s note: The following interview was conducted by The MBA Business Magazine as a very busy Dana Perino was getting ready to board a flight — proof that even in the whirlwind of daily headlines and breaking news, she still makes time for meaningful conversations about leadership, purpose and what it means to endure with grace.
When Dana Perino takes the stage at The MBA’s 120th Annual Event in Erie, Pennsylvania on October 8, she’ll bring more than just name recognition and star power. As a former White House press secretary, co-anchor of America’s Newsroom, co-host of The Five, and bestselling author of multiple books, including her latest, I Wish Someone Had Told Me… The Best Advice for Building a Great Career and a Meaningful Life, Perino offers thoughtful insights into what it means to lead with resilience.
“Dana Perino is a well-respected political commentator and journalist whose small-town upbringing helped shape the professional journey that ultimately led her to the White House, and we are thrilled to have her share the lessons she’s learned along the way,” explains MBA President and CEO Lori Joint. “Her presentation, ‘Resilient Leadership in Divided Times,’ will give our members strategies for navigating conflict with empathy, fostering productive dialogue and building consensus. She will share compelling stories and practical tools for leading with integrity and connection — even in the toughest moments.”
From ranch life to the White House, from briefing rooms to cable news studios, Perino’s journey is indeed a blueprint for leading with conviction in challenging times. Her strength lies in her calm demeanor, unwavering professionalism and down-to-earth relatability. She is, at her core, a listener, a learner and a leader who knows the value of grace under pressure.
FROM RANCH ROOTS TO THE WEST WING
Before the cameras, bestselling books and the West Wing, Dana Perino’s story began in the Cowboy State of Wyoming. Born in Evanston and raised in Denver, Colorado, her family’s ranch became a grounding force in her early life. Her grandfather, a Republican county commissioner, was a man of service who would rise before dawn to tend to the cattle, clean up, and don a bolo tie before heading off to public meetings.
“There was something bigger than just yourself,” Perino said, reflecting on those early lessons in civic duty and work ethic. “You were expected to contribute.”
Her father instilled a love of current events and debate in an unconventional way: He asked her to read the Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Post each day and select two articles to discuss over dinner. These conversations built a foundation for a future defined by clear thinking, articulate speech and public communication.
Perino also credits the calm of her upbringing as essential in shaping the composure she would later be known for in the high-pressure career world.
THE WHITE HOUSE YEARS: PRESSURE, PURPOSE AND PRECISION
Perino’s path to the White House wasn’t conventional, but it was intentional. With a master’s in public affairs reporting from the University of Illinois – Springfield and a string of communications roles in Washington, she built a reputation as someone who could be trusted under pressure. That reputation caught the attention of top advisers in the George W. Bush administration, and eventually, she was offered a position in the Office of Communications. She spent more than seven years as part of the administration of President George W. Bush, joining right after the 9/11 attacks as a spokesperson for the Justice Department.
When Tony Snow had to step down due to terminal cancer in 2007, Perino was appointed as the 26th White House press secretary — the second woman and the first Republican woman to hold the role.
The gravity of the moment wasn’t lost on her.
“Tony had such a beautiful way of connecting with people,” Perino recalls. Still, she had to find her own voice — one that was authentic to her, and not a replica of his.
Her voice would soon be tested in some of the most challenging periods of the Bush administration — ongoing military conflicts, economic volatility and deepening political polarization.
“Leadership is a decision-making experience,” Perino explains. “You have to be comfortable making decisions. But to do that, you need to have a set of principles by which you live your life and run your business.”
She found strength in the example of President Bush and Vice President Cheney. One piece of advice from Cheney still echoes in her mind: “You never get in trouble for something you didn’t say.” It’s a discipline that Perino believes more leaders — especially in today’s media-drenched world — should adopt.
She recalls moments of intense scrutiny, such as briefing the press on national security issues or responding to unexpected crises. Her team prepared obsessively. She credits those high-stakes experiences with sharpening her instincts and deepening her empathy.
“People need information, but they also need to trust the messenger,” she says. “I always tried to be honest, direct and calm.”
Perino also reflects on how the role of press secretary has evolved. “I was only the second woman to hold the job,” she says, noting the number of women who have followed. “It has changed a lot.”
CALM IS A SUPERPOWER
Ask anyone who’s worked with Dana Perino and a common word emerges: “unflappable.” Her calm demeanor wasn’t just a personal trait — it became a leadership tool.
“Nobody will follow you if you’re running around like a chicken with your head cut off,” she jokes, explaining that calm breeds competence.
That lesson was especially relevant in meetings with President Bush. She remembered a moment when a senior staffer struggled to convey a message clearly. Perino quietly stepped in, reframed the message and helped restore clarity to a tense room.
“I’ve always believed that people trusted me to speak on their behalf, and I think I did a good job representing them.” she says.
FINDING A NEW VOICE
Leaving the White House could have marked the end of a storied career, but for Perino, it was just the beginning of Act Two. She transitioned into television, first as a contributor and then as co-host of The Five — a roundtable show that blends analysis with personality and debate.
The leap wasn’t easy.
“I was reluctant to express my own opinion,” she admits. “It felt like walking a high wire without a net.”
Perino had been trained to stay neutral, precise and measured. But TV demanded a more personal approach — something more conversational, even provocative at times. With encouragement from colleagues like Greg Gutfeld and network executives like Suzanne Scott, Perino trusted her instincts and shared her insights.
Scott, who had been head of talent and one of Perino’s first bosses, is now CEO. She helped create an environment of support and growth for her team — not just as broadcasters, but as people, Perino explains.
That support helped Perino build a following. She became known as a steadying voice on The Five, one who could hold her ground with intelligence and civility.
“We don’t always agree,” she says of the show’s panel, “but we respect each other. And I think the audience senses that.”
The Five has gone on to win its time slot every day since it started in July 2011 and has been named the fourth most- watched program in all of cable.
THE ART OF LISTENING AND LEADING WITH VISION
Among all the leadership skills Perino has developed, she ranks listening among the most essential.
“Listening is an undervalued leadership skill,” she notes. “Let people tell their story. Let them make their argument without interrupting. That shows respect — and earns it.”
This belief shows up in her work on America’s Newsroom, where she interviews politicians, business leaders and newsmakers with an open-minded approach.
It’s also a theme in her mentorship of younger journalists and staffers.
Perino frequently invites rising stars to ask questions, seek advice or simply talk about their career paths. It’s part of her mission to foster a leadership pipeline, especially for young women.
In fact, to express her gratitude for the opportunities she’s been afforded, Perino, along with Dee Martin, co-head of the Policy Resolution Group at Bracewell LLP; and Jamie Zuieback, director of public relations for the U.S. at Latham & Watkins LLP, started Minute Mentoring in 2009. The program for young women is like speed dating between mentors and mentees giving participants, “renewed energy and enthusiasm for their careers and for the value of mentorship.”
RESILIENCE THROUGH EXPERIENCE
Perino believes resilience is the essential quality for modern leadership. But it’s not something you’re born with, she insists — it’s developed through experience.
“This is the most important skill young people learn and coddling them won’t help them develop it,” she says. “I find that the younger generation is actually a bit more resilient after COVID — that could just be at FOX and in my friend group — but, overall, I have great confidence in their approach to accepting life is hard and that taking chances is critical to success.”
She’s optimistic about the next generation and often reminds young professionals of their immense potential: “Being born in America means you already won life’s great lottery. Take advantage of that — don’t waste the opportunity and be grateful and patriotic. It will make your life even better.”
EMBRACING CHANGE
Perino has lived through major career pivots — leaving Capitol Hill for England, government for media and public service for a life on-camera and as a podcaster for Everything Will Be Okay for FOX News Radio.
Her advice to business leaders facing similar inflection points? “I have decided there’s no alternative to embracing change. It is happening whether we like it or not.”
Perino is also quite candid about her own push-pull with modern technology. “The more I learn about AI (artificial intelligence), the more I want to get a hard copy book and go sit in the quiet on my family’s ranch and tune it all out,” she says. “So I try to find a mix of things. I dabble in using ChatGPT, for instance, but I buy hard copy books and resubscribed to the hard copy Wall Street Journal and New York Times.”
For Perino, technology and tradition must co-exist. “We have to protect humanity while we also use the new tech to our mutual advantage, as much as possible.”
Being a fearless leader, she says, means accepting change is coming — and ushering it in responsibly.
TAKING A LEAP OF FAITH
Since leaving the White House, Perino has embraced sharing her career and life advice through her books, often focusing on the positive aspects and the lessons learned even from difficult situations. She is the bestselling author of And the Good News Is…Lessons and Advice from the Bright Side, Let Me Tell You about Jasper … How My Best Friend Became America’s Dog, and Everything Will Be Okay: Life Lessons for Young Women (from a Former Young Woman). Her newest book, I Wish Someone Had Told Me, is rising on the bestseller list.
One of the most powerful — and most talked about — stories in I Wish Someone Had Told Me… comes not from a newsroom or war room, but on a flight in 1997.
That’s when Perino met her future husband, Peter McMahon.
Their connection was immediate. But when Perino made the decision to move to England to be with him, many questioned whether she was giving up her career.
“It was the first big leap of faith I ever took,” she says. “And it changed everything.”
In hindsight, the decision didn’t pause her career; it elevated her perspective. It gave her clarity about what she valued and how she wanted to lead.
Perino believes more people need to hear that choosing love doesn’t mean sacrificing ambition.
“Do not pass up the chance to be loved,” she says in her new book.
LEADERSHIP IN PRACTICE
Pressed for her favorite career memory, Perino doesn’t choose a headline moment or viral clip. Instead, she shares a story of humility — and a peanut butter sandwich.
After an event at the Boy Scout Jamboree in Virginia, she sat with President Bush. There, Bush offered her half of his peanut butter and honey sandwich.
“That was when we really started to get to know each other,” she said. “He asked about my family, my background. He cared.”
It reminded her of the human side of leadership — that even the most powerful people are capable of great kindness and connection.
MESSAGE FOR MBA MEMBERS
As she prepares to address The MBA’s 120th Annual Event on October 8 in Erie, Perino says her excitement is rooted in one thing: connection.
“You are all here because you care,” she says of her message for guests. “And I think that’s one of the most important things about leadership. Showing you care.”
In rapidly evolving times, that’s what people are looking for in leaders: not certainty, but sincerity. Not perfection, but presence.
“If your organization knows that you have their best interest in mind, they are likely to be confident in following you,” Perino says. “Times are changing but our values are steadfast. Hold onto your hats! We are in for a wild ride!”
