Editor-at-large at U.S. News & World Report and political analyst for CNN and PBS, David Gergen has served as a White House adviser to four presidents; Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Clinton. He is also a professor at Harvard’s School of Public Leadership. An active participant in American national life for 30 years, Gergen has a lifetime of experience in observing and participating in high-capacity leadership, which he’s distilled into seven vital elements needed for future leaders. The author of Eyewitness to Power, he firmly believes that by identifying the traits of other leaders (and learning from their mistakes), we can increase our own effectiveness and leadership potential.
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 4:37:32 PM
Gergen plugs Bill Hybels book 'Axiom'. great book
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 4:42:37 PM
talking about importance of leader creating the right culture in an organization
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 4:43:31 PM
you have to learn to get better
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 4:44:25 PM
be a reflective practioner
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 4:44:43 PM
reflective practice = combination of being in the arena, doing, but also reading
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 4:45:32 PM
become self-educated
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 4:45:37 PM
not every reader is a leader, but every leader is a reader
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 4:45:53 PM
read, do, reflect on it
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 4:46:07 PM
it is easy to confuse motion with progress
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 4:46:59 PM
one of the easiest things to do is fool yourself
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 4:48:10 PM
Nixon was the best strategist he ever met
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 4:52:34 PM
someone who can look farther back can look farther ahead
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 4:53:16 PM
Ford was the most decent president he worked for
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 4:53:30 PM
we have come to prize people who are decent, because they have become so rare
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 4:54:27 PM
Clinton..very bright, tactical
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 4:55:11 PM
Gergen admired Clinton's resilience
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 4:55:50 PM
Reagan was a superb leader
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 4:56:23 PM
he had a contagious optimism
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 4:56:34 PM
sense of sacrifice is important, but so is sense of humor
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 4:58:01 PM
sometime the right hand does not know what the far-right hand is doing ;-)
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 4:58:26 PM
Gergen is a pretty funny guy
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 4:59:06 PM
mentors are so important in life
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 4:59:47 PM
Nixon was a good man, but he had demons he could not control
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 5:00:42 PM
Reagan's weakness was detachment. took his hands off the wheel sometimes
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 5:02:11 PM
Clinton's weakness was that he had cracks in his character
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 5:03:02 PM
Gergen: Jesus Christ, hard to find flaws there. Hybels: you CNN guys keep looking ;-)
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 5:05:08 PM
leadership does not have to be lonely
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 5:10:52 PM
leaders today get the best results when they have great teams. teams of leaders
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 5:11:27 PM
if you want to go fast, go alone. if you want to go far, go together.
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 5:12:24 PM
leadership is about trust and about communication
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 5:13:16 PM
symbols matter to people
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 5:13:38 PM
who the speaker is speaks as loudly as anything he or she says
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 5:16:05 PM
great speeches have ethos, logos, pathos
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 5:20:36 PM
personal habits matter a lot
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 5:22:53 PM
Churchill would take afternoon naps
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 5:23:59 PM
it is important to be physically fit. leadership is a physically demanding task
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 5:24:28 PM
build time into your day to reflect
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 5:24:45 PM
build time into your day to be with people you cherish
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 5:24:57 PM
i love the generation that is coming up...it is a terrific generation
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 5:29:10 PM
having a true north, a moral compass is extremely important for leadership
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 5:31:02 PM
it is important to have good anchors in life
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 5:31:39 PM
one of the greatest dangers to a leader is that your ego becomes so big that you become arrogant
by Aaron Unnasch at 8/7/2009 5:32:09 PM