A Passion for Leadership; Lessons on Change and Reform from Fifty Years of Public Service

New York, N.Y.: Alfred A. Knopf, 2016. First Edition [stated]. presumed first printing. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. 239 pages. Signed by the author on the second front endpaper. Some sticker residue on back of DJ. Includes chapters on Why Bureaucracies so Often Fail Us; Where You Want to Go: "The Vision Thing'; Formulating a Strategy; Techniques for Implementing Change; It's Always About People; Stakeholders: Friends and Foes; The Agent of Change: "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall'': Money, Money, Money: Reforming in Scarce times; Reform: The Never-Ending Story; and A Flaming Heart. Also includes Acknowledgments and Index. A characteristically direct and informed assessment of why big institutions are failing us and how smart, committed leadership can effect real improvement. Across the realms of civic and private enterprise alike, bureaucracies vitally impact our security, freedoms, and everyday life. With so much at stake, competence, efficiency, and fiscal prudence are essential, yet Americans know these institutions fall short. Robert Gates having led change successfully at three monumental organizations-the CIA, Texas A&M University, and the Department of Defense-offers the ultimate insider's look at how major bureaus, organizations, and companies can be transformed, which is by turns heartening and inspiring and always instructive. With practical advice on tailoring reform to the culture; effecting change within committees; engaging the power of compromise; and listening and responding to your team, Gates brings the full weight of his wisdom, candor, and devotion to civic duty to inspire others to lead desperately needed change. Robert Michael "Bob" Gates (born September 25, 1943) is an American statesman, scholar and university president who served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and was Director of Central Intelligence under President George H. W. Bush. After leaving the CIA, Gates became president of Texas A&M University and was a member of several corporate boards. Gates served as a member of the Iraq Study Group, the bipartisan commission co-chaired by James A. Baker III and Lee H. Hamilton, that studied the lessons of the Iraq War. Gates was nominated by Republican President George W. Bush as Secretary of Defense after the 2006 election, replacing Donald Rumsfeld. He was confirmed with bipartisan support. He continued to serve as Secretary of Defense in President Barack Obama's administration. He retired in 2011. Gates was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, by President Obama during his retirement ceremony. Gates has been elected President of the Boy Scouts of America. Derived from a Kirkus review: The former secretary of defense offers insights into being an effective leader. With an impressive record of service that also includes positions as director of the CIA, president of Texas A&M University, and, currently, chancellor of the College of William and Mary, Gates knows more than most about being a productive, respected leader. In this informative, entertaining, and useful book, he delves into what it takes to be a leader who can get results without creating unnecessary enemies. He enumerates certain aspects or criteria that are required for someone who wishes to be a trailblazer in the private or public sectors and then backs up these ideas with rich examples from his own work experiences. "The important thing to remember is that in any public or private sector organization, whether it has three million employees or three," he writes, "having a clearly defined and achievable vision-or set of goals-and getting priorities right in moving forward are preconditions for successfully leading change." It's also important to maintain transparency regarding information, to consult with employees at all levels, and to establish methods of accountability. The author's real-life examples are the strongest part of the book, as they show a side of bureaucracy and of upper-level leadership not often revealed to the public. These scenarios give readers a better understanding about how these organizations function. "The task of reforming institutions is a difficult one," writes Gates. "A leader's heart must be on fire with belief in what she seeks to do. Changing institutions is a battle, and she must undertake it with courage, strength, and conviction." By following the author's advice, most aspiring leaders will be able to do so. A concise distillation of more than five decades of leadership knowledge-good reading for all of the 2016 presidential candidates.