What the world needs now is motivation — only the right kind of motivation will do, however. I recently attended a day-long seminar listening to speaker after speaker offer their slant — meaning a biased perspective on something that is likely to appeal to a particular group — on what it takes to have a successful life on any front, including any given Sunday.

Laura Bush, the former first lady, was billed as a “special guest.” Others included Colin Powell, “legendary solider and statesman”; Kurt Warner, retired NFL champion quarterback; Steve Forbes, president and CEO of Forbes Inc.; Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns two-time MVP; Rudy Giuliani, “America’s mayor”; and Zig Ziglar described as “the solid gold standard in motivation having transformed millions of lives around the globe with his profound secrets to success in business and life.”

The event was held at the US Airways Center in downtown Phoenix, Ariz. — home of the Phoenix Suns. There appeared to be few empty seats in the 19,023-seat arena, with men and women from various walks of life presumably there to find out how they too could become superstars on the stage of life. Eavesdropping in the corridors and the ladies room, I overheard people talking about how their companies sent groups of workers. There were the unemployed, underemployed, retirees and others with different backgrounds. As for me, I went along for the ride with one of my new friends here in Arizona.

So what is the right kind of motivation and how do you get it?

According to the speakers in the aggregate, it comes from such traits as perseverance, strategic leadership, finding ways to overcome just about any obstacle in life, teamwork, business skills designed for weathering any economic condition, and the ability to thrive and survive in a competitive environment. What it boiled down to is that getting to the top and surviving various adversities in life calls for much hard work, a tough hide, self-esteem and self-control, and a willingness to work with others. It’s too bad that our current group of elected officials, especially those in our Congress, were not in the audience. Who knows, perhaps minds would have opened so that fresh ideas could take root along with a real promise to work together to solve the nation’s problems.

Kurt Warner looked to what motivated his heroes, which included Muhammad Ali, who said one must have a vision. Joe Montana, the Hall of Fame 49ers quarterback, said striving for perfection was the driving force in his life. Perseverance was Michael Jordan’s secret weapon during his professional basketball career. It was sacrifice for champion cyclist Lance Armstrong, who always was willing to ride his bike when others were unwilling, such as in adverse weather conditions. A seven-straight Tour de France winner, Armstrong also is a cancer survivor.

Laura Bush knows about the pain and suffering tied to life in the public eye. She acknowledged that her public face did not always mirror her private feelings, such as when her husband was lambasted during their stints in the White House. “George would shrug off certain things that bothered me,” she said.

For Colin Powell, effective leadership means recognizing the service of others no matter their ranks — from the highest to the lowest. He wrote short notes of praise when he learned of special accomplishments by people under his supervision. A personal, hand-written note using a real ink pen, not a ballpoint pen, went a long way toward showing appreciation, he said.

Although he did not say so, Rudy Giuliani’s advice that people should exploit the information highway clearly targeted my generation and beyond. It is no secret that technology and the World Wide Web are critical tools in these contemporary times. If my grandchildren are reflective of their generation, what they don’t know about maneuvering the information highway in this digital age isn’t worth thinking about. “Do not fear the information age; learn and connect,” Giuliani advised. “To be part of the world, you must be plugged into it.”

I was gratified by his caution that people not allow themselves to become a reflection of what others think — especially the TV talking heads who have turned reporting into something I no longer recognize as news. Who would have ever thought that free access to information the way we now consume it could be daunting? Too much of a good thing could take us to a bad place, to be sure. Which means it would be a bad idea for people to stop reading books, magazines and other publications in the new age of digital information. That’s also from Giuliani, the man who gave new meaning to the power of strong leadership in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on New York City on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001.