The talent to lead

What qualities make a successful leader in business or politics? We live in a time when the information revolution has drastically changed the job market. The old hierarchical organization of companies is being replaced by professional networks, the performance of leaders is constantly being questioned, and ideas about leadership clearly need redefinition. In * The Gift to Lead* , Joseph S. Nye Jr. comprehensively addresses the nature of leadership today, bringing together history, business case studies, and psychological research.

Today, many people believe that more coercive forms of leadership have been largely replaced in post-industrial societies by approaches that aim to attract and inspire rather than command. However, Nye argues that the most effective leaders are actually those who combine the capabilities of authority and persuasion in proportions that vary across situations.

Drawing on examples from the careers of such incomparable leaders as Gandhi and Franklin D. Roosevelt, among others, Joseph S. Nye Jr. uses the concept of "Smart Power" to analyze leadership types and skills, the needs and demands of followers, and the nature of good or bad leadership performance in terms of ethics and effectiveness.

Leadership talent helps us understand changing environments, capitalize on trends, and use the flow of events to implement strategies in any context.