He systematically worked with the Legislature, media and communities for answers. "Through the course of several months there was enough attention paid to that issue that it created a momentum for something to actually happen."

This is how things have gone in Leavitt's professional life: He notices a job that looks interesting. "I can do that," he says to himself. He takes a risk to get on board, works hard, figures out the problems — and moves up incrementally. The pattern has repeated itself time after time.

• He joined the National Guard out of high school and found himself on KP duty. After cleaning out another garbage can, Leavitt said to himself, "I think I'm officer material." He transferred soon after to an officer training program and earned a lieutenant's rank.

• He sold insurance on his own in his early 20s, then took over at his dad's insurance shop when his folks went on a three-year LDS mission. He increased profits and expanded the business during that stint, then stayed on as chief.
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• A few years later, Sen. Jake Garn's top staffer called Leavitt. "We're meeting to do a big fund-raiser for Jake," Jeff Bingham said. "We've got six United State senators coming in. We'd like you to come." Nothing had been done for the fund-raiser. Organizers thought about canceling. Leavitt took on the job and organized a successful party for Garn. A year later Garn asked Leavitt to manage his re-election campaign.

• A few years later, Sen. Orrin Hatch came to Leavitt during a tight political campaign season. Hatch's campaign manager at the time had become a controversial figure, Leavitt said, and he needed someone to step in. "I did step in and solve the problem. He was successful and I learned an enormous amount through that process."

• During one Hatch campaign, Leavitt bumped into Dick Wirthlin. Wirthlin invited Leavitt to come and help with Ronald Reagan's 1984 re-election. "So I gained a little bigger perspective."

• In 1990, Merrill Cook pushed a citizen initiative ballot to remove the sales tax from food. This would hurt state revenue and education, said the Utah Education Association and local colleges. Leavitt organized opposition to the initiative and got the project killed.

• Two years later he ran for governor and won.

"There is no question he has excellent political instincts," said LaVarr Webb, a former top Leavitt aide and former Deseret News managing editor. "He has a pretty good feel how something will play with the general public and with the media, also. Media is important to him, more so than maybe a lot of other leaders."