Powers to Lead

With The Powers to Lead, Joseph S. Nye Jr. offers a sweeping look at the nature of leadership in today's world, in an illuminating blend of history, business case studies, psychological research, and more. As he observes, many now believe that the more authoritarian and coercive forms of leadership--the "hard power" approaches of earlier military-industrial eras--have been largely supplanted in postindustrial societies by "soft power" approaches that seek to attract, inspire, and persuade rather than dictate. Nye argues, however, that the most effective leaders are actually those who combine hard and soft power skills in proportions that vary with different situations. He calls this "smart power." Drawing examples from the careers of leaders as disparate as Gandhi, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lee Iacocca, and--in a new preface--Barack Obama, Nye uses the concept of smart power to shed light on such topics as leadership types and skills, the needs and demands of followers, and the nature of good and bad leadership in terms of both ethics and effectiveness. In one particularly instructive chapter, he looks in depth at "contextual intelligence"--the ability to understand changing environments, capitalize on trends, and use the flow of events to implement strategies. Thoroughly grounded in the real world, rich in both analysis and anecdote, The Powers to Lead is sure to become a modern classic, a concise and lucid work applicable to every field, from small businesses to nations on the world stage. "Mr. Nye has performed a valuable service in rounding up and summarizing the various academic studies and theories of leadership into a single, slim volume." --The Economist "One of the first to include new scholarship on the youngest emerging leaders, Nye readily demonstrates his ability to traverse the intellectual and pragmatic without becoming esoteric or pedantic.... Highly recommended." --CHOICE "Finally, a book that analyzes what leadership really means and how it relates to power. It will be invaluable for both political and business leaders alike. Nye developed the concept of hard and soft power, and now he shows how the best leaders use both in a smart way." -Walter Isaacson, author of Einstein: His Life and Universe "An outstanding primer on leadership and all its dimensions. A sharp, gracefully written introduction to leadership that will benefit anyone from Washington to Wall Street." -General Brent Scowcroft, former U.S. National Security Advisor