Henry Kissinger analyses how six extraordinary leaders he has known have shaped their countries
and the world '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 through the distinctive strategies of statecraft which he believes they
embodied. After the Second World War Konrad Adenauer brought defeated and morally bankrupt
Germany back into the community of nations by what Kissinger calls 'the strategy of humility'.
Charles de Gaulle set France beside the victorious Allies and renewed its historic grandeur by
'the strategy of will'. During the Cold War Richard Nixon gave geostrategic advantage to the
United States by 'the strategy of equilibrium'. After twenty-five years of conflict Anwar
Sadat brought a vision of peace to the Middle East by a 'strategy of transcendence'. Against
the odds Lee Kwan Yew created a powerhouse city-state Singapore by 'the strategy of
excellence'. Although when she came to power Britain was known as 'the sick man of Europe'
Margaret Thatcher renewed her country's morale and international position by 'the strategy of
conviction'. To each of these studies Kissinger brings historical perception public
experience and - because he knew each of their subjects and participated in many of the events
he describes - personal knowledge. The book is enriched by insights and judgements such as only
he could make and concludes with his reflections on world order and the indispensability of
leadership today.
