Originally published on American Cities Business Journals

By John Hickenlooper

My grandfather used to say to us over and over when we were little kids: “This is no dress rehearsal.” We can’t control what happens to us in life, but we can each control how we’re going to respond to it and what we make of our lives.

Each of us can make a specific and concrete difference in this world if only we decide to make it happen. I’m not talking platitudes here; I’ve seen it up close.

Twenty years ago, when I was a businessman running a restaurant in downtown Denver, I had never expected or planned on entering public service, but my grandfather’s words stuck with me. When friends and customers asked me to put my business experience to work as mayor of Denver, I spent a year examining the pluses and minuses, but in the end I jumped at the chance. No dress rehearsal, right? I went for it.

I asked myself three questions: Would I be good? Would it engage and excite me? And could I really make a difference?

Once in office, I quickly realized that making a difference in the world creates more joy than just having a bigger house or a faster car. It surprised me, actually. There is a real sense of purpose that comes with public service.

And I’m not alone in thinking this.

We can all see how business people (Michael Bloomberg and Bill Gates are favorites of mine) have contributed to society by entering public service – everything from running for office, to taking a job in the administration to simply volunteering to serve on a government advisory panel. The opportunities are everywhere, and the impact you can have—even in just a short time—is significant.

More needs to be done to create an entry point for those who would put in their time and energy in government, but don’t know where to start.

One program along these lines here in Colorado is the Quarterly Forum, which does some important work to encourage business people to become the next generation of public servants. They are recruiting a second class of Governor’s Fellows, and we in government are already hiring from the ranks of their first class.

A unique skillset

The reason we want them on board is that business people are uniquely positioned to help solve government’s biggest challenges—from health care, to energy, to economic growth and more—because they’ve lived these industries at eye level already, every day. They know what’s working, or not working, on the ground.

For instance, in business, you have to understand the risk and reward of everything you do. It’s your money, and your employees, that are on the line. If things don’t work out, if you haven’t assessed your spending or risk carefully, the potential failure can tank your business. Executives and leaders in government should be just as careful with tax revenues. And in business you learn that everybody’s family, and everyone needs to rely on one another.

Getting rich on experiences

You’re not going to get rich in public service. I’m the second-lowest paid governor in the country and much of my staff took steep pay cuts to join my administration. But that’s not the point.

A big part of life is about growing and self-learning. It’s about improving yourself. And it’s about giving.

Entering the public service arena from the private sector can be a little like walking into a funhouse. Suddenly you find yourself making new kinds of impressions, reflected back at you in new ways. You grow new muscles that lead to massive personal growth.

At least that was my experience. I learned more about myself, my motivations, and what I could accomplish as a person in those first few years than I did in the previous 30.

I have no doubt that all of this would make me a better businessperson. I sometimes fantasize about how much of a better boss I would be now if I still had my restaurant business. After 15 years in public service, I now understand how to make better decisions, how to work with a team and how move quickly but carefully. Especially now, working with people from different backgrounds and from different parts of the country, we all bring different sets of ideas, and expectations and solutions to the table. That experience has been invaluable.

All told, I’d go as far as to say that public service is about more than becoming a better leader. It’s about becoming a better person. It’s about giving back to the communities that helped make us who we are.

John Hickenlooper is Governor of Colorado.