Leadership, Henry Kissinger
Leadership, Henry Kissinger
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Leadership
Six Studies in World Strategy

Bestseller

Author: Henry Kissinger

Narrator: Sean Patrick Hopkins

Unabridged: 19 hr 9 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 07/05/2022

Synopsis

The New York Times bestseller

Henry Kissinger, consummate diplomat and statesman, examines the strategies of six great twentieth-century figures and brings to life a unifying theory of leadership and diplomacy

“An extraordinary book.” -The Wall Street Journal

“A must read...His books - including this one - will hopefully be read well into the future. Indeed our present and future leaders would benefit from reading all of Kissinger's books. They are timeless." -The New York Journal of Books

“Leaders,” writes Henry Kissinger in this compelling book, “think and act at the intersection of two axes: the first, between the past and the future; the second, between the abiding values and aspirations of those they lead. They must balance what they know, which is necessarily drawn from the past, with what they intuit about the future, which is inherently conjectural and uncertain. It is this intuitive grasp of direction that enables leaders to set objectives and lay down a strategy.”
 
In Leadership, Kissinger analyses the lives of six extraordinary leaders - Konrad Adenauer, Charles de Gaulle, Richard Nixon, Anwar Sadat, Lee Kuan Yew, and Margaret Thatcher - through the distinctive strategies of statecraft that he believes they embodied. To each of these studies, Kissinger brings historical perception, public experience and, because he knew each of the subjects and participated in many of the events he describes, personal knowledge. Leadership is enriched by insights and judgements that only Kissinger could make and concludes with his reflections on world order and the indispensability of leadership today.

About The Author

Henry Kissinger served in the US Army during the Second World War and subsequently held teaching posts in history and government at Harvard University for twenty years. He served as national security advisor and secretary of state under Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, and has advised many other American presidents on foreign policy. He received the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Medal of Liberty, among other awards. He was the author of numerous books and articles on foreign policy and diplomacy, including most recently Leadership, On China, and World Order. He served as chairman of Kissinger Associates, Inc., an international consulting firm. He died in 2023.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Bakunin on December 16, 2024

There is an endless discussion going on between my father and me regarding the value of history. Is it just 'one damned thing after the other'? What is the point of studying it? And how can we be sure that we really understand historial epochs? In Kissingers latest book he discusses 6 different worl......more

Goodreads review by Sebastian on August 18, 2022

I didn't have very high expectations, but I've decided to give it a go after some comments from Ray Dalio. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a disappointment. Why so? 1. it's not a book about leadership; it's a book that justifies (or: "presents in a correct spotlight") a few certain political figur......more

Goodreads review by Bill on August 28, 2022

The new book by Henry Kissinger looks at six historical figures and the leadership skills that they brought to bear on the rather monumental problems they faced in the post World War II era. I took a look at some of the reviews before I bought the book and will need to dispense with some of the issu......more

Goodreads review by Ruth on September 13, 2022

An incredible book. This is so far the most interesting and illuminating book I read this year. This book combines in a most masterful way: - Interrelations between countries on a high level (macro) - Personalities (micro) The book highlights connections between the two through history and political eve......more

Goodreads review by Andrew on September 04, 2022

I've always found Kissinger a hard author to place. 'Diplomacy' is an enduring classic, his earlier books on nuclear weapons and foreign policy could be compelling, while I found 'World Order' a rambling banality, and 'On China' both engaging and self-indulgent. Leadership: Six Studies in World Stra......more

Quotes

“An extraordinary book, one that braids together two through lines in the long and distinguished career of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. The first is grand strategy: No practical geopolitical thinker has more assuredly mastered the way the modern global system works or how nations use the tools of statecraft to bend an often-resistant world to their will. But Mr. Kissinger is also an astute observer of the personal element in strategy—the art and science of leadership, or how, on the executive level, ‘decisions [are] made, trust earned, promises kept, a way forward proposed.’ In Leadership he presents a fascinating set of historical case studies and political biographies that blend the dance and the dancer, seamlessly.” —James Stavridis, The Wall Street Journal

“Although Kissinger, now aged 99, has not held office since 1977, he has advised virtually every US president since Nixon. . . . Elder statesman is an overused term but Kissinger is the genuine article, and worth listening to.” —Financial Times

“A must read. . . . [Kissinger] continues to contribute to our understanding of the world. His books—including this one—will hopefully be read well into the future. Indeed, our present and future leaders would benefit from reading all of Kissinger’s books. They are timeless.” —New York Journal of Books 

Kissinger’s combination of historical awareness, personal familiarity with the leaders, and diplomatic experience provides for a cogent read on the iconic statesmen of the Cold War era.” —The New Criterion

“Kissinger fulfills expectations with a reflective, contextual analysis of 20th century political leaders he knew. . . . Recommended for Kissinger’s distinctive perspectives imbedded in scholarly, readable prose.” —Library Journal (starred review)

“One of America’s most legendary diplomats finds the soul in statecraft in these enlightening sketches of world leaders. . . . Kissinger infuses his lucid policy analyses with colorful firsthand observations. . . . Kissinger’s portraits of politicians spinning weakness and defeat into renewed strength are captivating. This is a vital study of power in action.” —Publishers Weekly

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