NewsNation’s Leland Vittert: ‘Always Be Yourself’

Before he ever reported from a war zone or stood on the White House lawn, Leland Vittert was a silent kid in the back of the classroom—bullied, overlooked and misunderstood. Diagnosed with autism and unable to speak until he was three, Vittert didn’t seem like the kind of kid who’d grow up to grill world leaders on live TV. But he had one thing no one could see: grit—and a father who refused to let the world define his son’s limits.

Today, Vittert is one of the most composed and commanding voices in journalism. And his path to the anchor chair wasn’t built on chasing approval, but on staying true to himself. “Never change yourself to fit in,” he says. “Not in any way, shape or form.” That hard-won self-assurance didn’t come easy. It was earned day by day, rep by rep, lesson by lesson—starting with 200 pushups each morning and breakfast talks with a dad who believed his son could do anything.

“You learn that you’re stronger than you think you are,” Vittert said on a recent episode of the Corporate Competitor Podcast. “And if you go into the psychology of survival…you can’t wallow in the difficulty.”

His father lived that belief. An entrepreneur, he sold his company so he could be waiting at the end of the driveway every afternoon when school let out. Together, they built a future few others could imagine—anchored in the values of patience, dedication and self-respect.

Day in and day out, they prepared. Vittert did those 200 pushups to keep the bullies at bay. He studied politics, practiced reading facial cues, and sharpened his understanding of the world. But more than anything, father and son built a bond rooted in trust and a shared vision for what was possible. They never missed breakfast together.

“It’s not how much money you have, it’s not what accolades you get,” says Vittert. “It’s your character that will matter most.”

Vittert, with whom I co-authored the new memoir Born Lucky, shares more lessons on the podcast, including:

• Don’t quit. No matter what you’re facing, Vittert says, persistence is power. “Things can change,” he said. “The momentum can change… if you keep just working incredibly hard, it’s very hard to beat a man who won’t quit.”

• Set long-term goals. Before he was a news anchor, Vittert was a teenage pilot. That didn’t happen by accident. “Don’t set a goal for what you want to do next,” he said. “Set a goal for what you want to do in five or 10 years. My goal wasn’t to start flying lessons. My goal was to be the youngest to fly across the country.”

• Be honest. Vittert remembers trying to fit in with the “cool” kids, only to watch it backfire. That lesson stuck. “People can tell when you’re not being honest,” he says. Life isn’t about pleasing others. It’s about knowing who you are—and living in a way that would make your family proud.