When the 23rd Olympic Games came to the United States, the doomsayers predicted a disaster. In everyone’s minds were the terrorist attacks which made Munich a tragedy and the fiscal disaster in Montreal, which left the government one billion dollars in debt.

But the U.S. games proved to be a smashing success, in large part due to Peter Ueberroth, the forty-two-year-old optimist who masterminded the triumph and turned in a surplus of more than $200 million.

Ueberroth made speech after speech to the 72,000 Olympic workers (about half of them volunteers) about how together they had to climb a majestic mountain. Such language might sound corny to some, but there was no question in anyone’s mind that Ueberroth saw it exactly that way. Such commitment to the cause could also make him imperious with those whose dedication did not seem adequate. One day in the headquarters cafeteria he stopped to talk to some employees who were having lunch. The chat was pleasantly routine until one of the women asked about possible salary increases. Ueberroth, the unsalaried volunteer, turned cold and snapped: "You shouldn’t be working here if you don’t understand what we are trying to do."