This instant New York Times bestseller is an “inspiring and useful� (The Washington Post) guide to the art of leadership from David Gergen—former White House adviser to four US presidents, CNN analyst, and founder of the Harvard Center for Public Leadership. As nations careen from one crisis to the next, there is a growing cry for fresh leadership. Those in charge have relatedly fallen short, and trust in institutions have plummeted. So, what does great leadership look like? And how are great leaders made? David Gergen, a leader in the public arena for more than half a century, draws from his experiences as a White House adviser to four presidents, his decades as a trusted voice on national issues, and years of teaching and mentoring young people to offer a stirring playbook for the next generation of change-makers. To uncover the fundamental elements of effective leadership, Gergen traves the journeys of iconic leaders past and present, from pathbreakers like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, John Lewis, John McCain, and Harvey Milk to historic icons like Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Winston Churchill, and Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, to contemporary game changers like Greta Thunberg, the Parkland students, and the Black Lives Matter movement. Leadership is a journey that starts from within, Gergen writes. A leader must become self-aware and then achieve self-mastery. You cannot lead others until you can lead yourself. As you start to leap into the world, you begin your outer journey, overcoming setbacks, persuading others, empowering them, and navigating crises—armed with a sense of history, humor, passion, and purpose. By linking lessons of the past with the ever-changing practice of leadership today, Gergen reveals the time-tested secrets of dynamic leadership. A “clarion call for lives dedicated to service and leadership� (Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize­–winning author of Leadership), Hearts Touched with Fire distills experience and wisdom of the past into an invaluable guide for leaders of our future.

Why is it that some people challenge and motivate us, while others drain our spirit? What is that magical quality certain people have that makes others engage fully?
In her hugely inspirational and practical book, Betsy Myers--senior adviser to two US presidents and former executive director of Harvard's Center for Public Leadership-- demonstrates that you do not need to be in a boardroom, on a battlefield, or on a ballot to have a profound impact on everyone around you. Good leadership is not about having the most knowledge or power but about how you make others "feel." Drawing on her experiences from the Oval Office to the playground, Myers reveals seven core principles that will help you:
- Set the right priorities for yourself
- Uncover problems while they are still easy to fix
- Connect with others on a deeper level
- Collaborate with those whose viewpoints differ from yours
- Push through your fears
True leadership is not just all around us--it's "within "us.

A Clarion Call to Emerging Leaders: Step Up and Lead Now! In True North: Emerging Leaders Edition, renowned leadership expert Bill George and Millennial tech entrepreneur Zach Clayton issue the challenge to emerging leaders--from Gen X to Millennials and Gen Z--to lead their organizations authentically through never-ending crises to make this world a better place for everyone. Emerging leaders do so by discovering their "True North"--who they are--and then finding their "North Star"--their leadership purpose. To navigate today's complexities, George and Clayton show emerging leaders how to lead with their hearts, not just their heads, with passion, compassion, and moral courage by being true to their values to reach their full potential as they take on great challenges and navigate complex issues. Harvard professor Bill George, with four best-selling books to his credit including the timeless classic True North, is the former CEO of Medtronic who established authentic leadership in 2003. He teams up with Zach Clayton, an emerging leader still amid his own leadership development journey, to give emerging leaders the definitive guide for leading in today's complex world. The Emerging Leader Edition is filled with dramatic stories from successful leaders such as Microsoft's Satya Nadella and Merck's Ken Frazier to PepsiCo's Indra Nooyi and General Motors' Mary Barra, and emerging leaders like OneTrust's Kabir Barday and Kanbrick's Tracy Britt Cool of how they overcame great challenges to build highly successful organizations. The book offers concrete suggestions for: Becoming an authentic leader, equipped to lead inclusively with moral clarity through challenges and crises Cultivating regular introspection to ground yourself with self-awareness, live your values, and use your unique strengths Integrating all aspects of your life--including who you are at home, at work, and in the community Understanding how Millennials are leading more effectively in today's world Being an inclusive leader prepared to take on fraught issues like stakeholder challenges, racial and sexual equality, and sexual misconduct Knowing when--and how--leaders should speak out on today's complex public issues The Emerging Leader Edition of True North is the classic guide for every current and aspiring leader to reach their full, authentic potential.

Leadership: The Ultimate Guide

Few Americans have observed the ups and downs of presidential leadership more closely over the past thirty years -- from Nixon to Clinton and Watergate to Whitewater -- than David Gergen. A White House adviser to four presidents, both Republican and Democrat, he offers a vivid, behind-the-scenes account of their struggles to exercise power and draws from them key lessons for leaders of the future. Taking us inside the administrations of Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Clinton, Gergen reflects on everything from why Nixon was the best global strategist among recent presidents to how the Bill-and-Hillary seesaw rocked the White House during Clinton's tenure as president.

Gergen argues that, as the twenty-first century begins, our success as a country will depend heavily upon the success of a new generation in power. Drawing upon his many experiences in the White House, he offers seven vital elements for future leaders. What they must have, he says, are inner mastery; a central, compelling purpose rooted in moral values; a capacity to persuade; skills in working within the system; a fast start; a strong, effective team; and a passion that inspires others to keep the flame alive.

A powerful guide to the art of leadership from David Gergen-former White House adviser to four US presidents, CNN analyst, and founder of the Harvard Center for Public Leadership. As nations careen from one crisis to the next, there is a growing cry for fresh leadership. Those in charge have repeatedly fallen short, and trust in institutions has plummeted. So, what does great leadership look like? And how are great leaders made? David Gergen, a leader in the public arena for more than half a century, draws from his experiences as a White House adviser to four presidents, his decades as a trusted voice on national issues, and years of teaching and mentoring young people to offer a stirring playbook for the next generation of change-makers. To uncover the fundamental elements of effective leadership, Gergen traces the journeys of iconic leaders past and present, from pathbreakers like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, John Lewis, John McCain, and Harvey Milk to historic icons like Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Winston Churchill, and Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, to contemporary game changers like Greta Thunberg, the Parkland students, and the Black Lives Matter movement. Leadership is a journey that starts from within, Gergen writes. A leader must become self-aware and then achieve self-mastery. You cannot lead others until you can lead yourself. As you start to leap into the world, you begin your outer journey, overcoming setbacks, persuading others, empowering them, and navigating crises-armed a sense of history, humor, passion, and purpose. By linking lessons of the past with the ever-changing practice of leadership today, Gergen reveals the time-tested secrets of dynamic leadership. An indispensable manual, Hearts Touched With Fire distills experience and wisdom of the past into an invaluable guide for leaders of our future.

Formed in 2003 on the request of the federal government, the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government has trained political leaders, government officials, members of the armed forces and senior leaders all over the world on how to handle crisis situations. Managing crisis well is at the very heart of good leadership. Here, the NPLI team draws on a deep well of research as well as their experience working with leaders to respond to crisis events of all kinds, from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Boston Marathon bombings, to more everyday crises like a product recall or media controversy that can hit corporate operations, risking terrible PR and outrage from customers. You're It distills the wisdom the NPLI have gained from observing the way the most effective leaders take charge of situations with real authority, marshal and connect different networks together, and bring their organizations, cities and countries out through the other side of crisis into recovery. It outlines their theories of crisis leadership-as well as lessons on how to apply them every day so you're prepared when the unexpected happens. Filled with true life stories of danger and risk, You're It is an essential book for anyone potentially facing a crisis or a wrenching change.