Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and five former governors reflected on their accomplishments and key principles of leadership Monday during a rare gathering of the men who have led the state for most of the past 40 years.

The Lou Frey Institute of Politics and Government’s daylong symposium featured former governors Claude Kirk, Reubin Askew, Bob Graham and Buddy MacKay. Former governor Bob Martinez provided videotaped comments.

A standing-room-only crowd watched Bush’s morning keynote address in the Pegasus Ballroom of the Student Union, and large crowds remained for the other panels. A Web cast of the symposium also was shown at about 20 other schools around the state.

“To our knowledge, this is one of the few times that all of the governors of Florida have appeared together,” said Lou Frey, founder of the Lou Frey Institute and a Republican congressman who represented Central Florida from 1969 to 1979.

The daytime portion of the symposium featured individual sessions focused on each governor’s tenure in office. MacKay, Graham, Askew and Kirk served together on an evening panel.

Bush, the state’s 43rd governor, emphasized five principles of leadership. He said political candidates must clearly say what they plan to do and then follow through with those intentions after they are elected. He also said it’s important to measure the success of policies over time to make sure they are successful over the long term.

“If you don’t measure, then you don’t care,” he said.

Political leaders need to stick with the reforms that they are advocating and realize that changes cannot be made overnight, Bush said. They also need to communicate well and understand that success is never final because Florida is such a dynamic state.

Bush, who became governor in January 1999, also praised the medical college that will be established at UCF and that could begin training future doctors as early as 2008.

“I do believe this will be an economic engine for continued growth and progress in Florida,” Bush said, lauding the overwhelming community support for the school and the “gigantic checks” that accompanied that support.

Bob Graham, who served as governor from 1979 to 1987 before moving on to the U.S. Senate, gave the audience eight principles that are important for the state’s chief executives.

Like Bush, Graham said it’s important to indicate for candidates to precisely describe what they would do if they are elected. Campaigns should be viewed as contracts between the public and candidates, he said.

Graham also stressed the importance of selecting competent administrators and letting them do their jobs within the context of the governor’s broad goals. Another important principle is to set priorities and to avoid getting bogged down by focusing on too many priorities at once.

Staying close to the people also is an important principle for governors, Graham said.

“You start by asking the question, ‘What do the people of Florida want?,’” Graham said. “What are their expectations?”

MacKay served as lieutenant governor to Lawton Chiles for more than seven years before Chiles died in 1998. He reflected on how he and Chiles had to cut the budget significantly four times during their first six months in office.

MacKay said he learned from Chiles how humor and humility are important to help “ordinary people understand your vision.”

MacKay also urged students who want to pursue careers in politics to study political science and economics so they can understand the complicated issues facing the state.

Askew, who was governor from 1971 to 1979, told students that they should not let any barriers interfere with their paths to public office. Students who aspire to be elected leaders should run regardless of where they live in Florida, their race or their gender, he said.

“Don’t let anyone place hurdles in front of you,” he said. “Don’t underestimate yourself and your ability to serve.”

Kirk, who led the state from 1967 to 1971, told students in the audience that the problems the state is facing today are theirs to solve. He singled out the water supply as the most pressing issue for the state.

The Lou Frey Institute of Politics and Government, which was founded in 2002, is a nonpartisan organization that promotes civic education for students and other Central Florida residents. Go to http://www.loufrey.org for more information.