We should all be so fortunate to reflect upon and articulate our thoughts as clearly as Mr. Kissinger does throughout this marvelous book as he was 99, now 100, years of age at the time of writing “Leadership.”
Leadership books are a dime a dozen, so with many opinions out there, I have intentionally narrowed my choices in an attempt to learn from those who have actually had real skin in the game.
In addition to Kissinger himself, it is hard to argue with the worldly experiences and influence of this group:
Konrad Adenauer - German Chancellor who, in cooperation with the Allies, shepherded Germany back to economic viability after WWII (The Strategy of Humility).
Charles de Gaulle - As President, he twice rebuilt the political structure of France, once in 1944 and again in 1958 (The Strategy of Will).
Richard Nixon - As President, between 1969 and 1974, he modified the Cold War superpower tensions, led the U.S. out of the conflict in Vietnam, and put American foreign policy on constructive footing by opening relations with China (The Strategy of Equilibrium).
Anwar Sadat - As President of Egypt, he restored Egypt’s lost territories and self-confidence while securing long-elusive peace with Israel (The Strategy of Transcendence).
Lee Kuan Yew - As Prime Minister of Singapore, he shaped the evolution of an impoverished, multiethnic port city, surrounded by hostile neighbors. Singapore, under his guidance, emerged as a secure, well-administered and prosperous city-state providing unity amid cultural diversity (The Strategy of Excellence).
Margaret Thatcher - As Prime Minister of Britain, she inherited a former imperial power in severe decline of its international significance. She renewed her country through economic reform and a foreign policy that balanced boldness with prudence (The Strategy of Conviction).
Each leader’s profile is presented as a mini biography, with Kissinger covering career highlights as well as his personal reflections on interactions with each figure. Kissinger provides a balanced and reflective critique as he considers why each leader takes their individual approach, as well as a thoughtful consideration for the context of their decisions made during their specific moment in time.
Given Kissinger’s status as an academic, diplomat, and political advisor, this book is a must-read for enthusiasts of post-war and Cold War era history.
“Leadership” is enriched by the author’s insights and judgments with his reflections on the indispensability of leadership today in the context of shaping world order for a prosperous future amongst all nations, with special attention paid to the future relations between U.S. and China.
In conclusion, my favorite part of the book is the end!
Kissinger devotes 20 pages to his “Conclusion: The Evolution of Leadership” and puts a very introspective and definitive emphasis on how the current state of leadership in the world isn’t going in the right direction.
He posits -
”For a political elite to render meaningful public service, both education and character are essential.
As we have seen, leaders with world-historical impact have benefited from rigorous and humanistic education. Such an education begins in a formal setting and continues for a lifetime through reading and discussion with others.
That initial step is rarely taken today - few universities offer an education in statecraft either explicitly or implicitly - and the lifelong effort is made more difficult as changes in technology erode deep literacy.
Thus, for meritocracy to be reinvigorated, humanistic education would need to regain its significance, embracing such subjects as philosophy, politics, human geography, modern languages, history, economic thought, literature and even, perhaps, classical antiquity, the study of which was long the nursery of statesmen.”
Thank you for reading!
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