Joseph Nye - Böcker

Leadership is always necessary in any endeavor, applying equally to politics, business, society, and culture. Yet the perception of effective leadership has changed in our era. The older model of a heroic, authoritarian leader-picture the hardcharging, demanding CEO or even General George C. Patton-is part of modern American folklore folklore. The new conventional wisdom, though, tells us that this model has given way to the "soft" leader ideal, where leaders inspire their followers and avoid acting like dictators. Joseph Nye's The Powers to Lead, an innovative general introduction to leader types and the basic facets of leadership, enriches our understanding of the concept immeasurably. Throughout, Nye highlights how the changing nature of leadership derives from broader social and political changes. As Nye shows, some leaders fit the new model and rely on charisma and persuasion, while others typify the old authoritarian style. But as he also explains, today's effective leaders have the ability to utilize both approaches depending on changing circumstances. To illustrate his argument, Nye applies his famous "soft power'"concept to leadership, showing through a number of examples how the power to persuade and inspire is a key attribute of most good leaders today. By covering political and social leadership in addition to business leadership, The Powers to Lead offers the most ambitious treatment of the subject to date. And by offering a a concise general theory that extends the concept outward across all of society, The Powers to Lead should stand a classic in the field.

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

Is America still Number 1? A leading scholar of international politics and former State Department official takes issue with Paul Kennedy and others and clearly demonstrates that the United States is still the dominant world power, with no challenger in sight. But analogies about decline only divert policy makers from creating effective strategies for the future, says Nye. The nature of power has changed. The real-and unprecedented-challenge is managing the transition to growing global interdependence.

Joseph Nye coined the term "soft power" in the late 1980s. It is now used frequently,and often incorrectly,by political leaders, editorial writers, and academics around the world. So what is soft power? Soft power lies in the ability to attract and persuade. Whereas hard power,the ability to coerce,grows out of a country's military or economic might, soft power arises from the attractiveness of a country's culture, political ideals, and policies. Hard power remains crucial in a world of states trying to guard their independence and of non-state groups willing to turn to violence. It forms the core of the Bush administration's new national security strategy. But according to Nye, the neo-conservatives who advise the president are making a major miscalculation: They focus too heavily on using America's military power to force other nations to do our will, and they pay too little heed to our soft power. It is soft power that will help prevent terrorists from recruiting supporters from among the moderate majority. And it is soft power that will help us deal with critical global issues that require multilateral cooperation among states.That is why it is so essential that America better understands and applies our soft power. This book is our guide.

Peter Cutler is a respected Princeton professor living a quiet academic life when an old college friend makes him an offer he can't refuse: The position of foreign policy adviser for Democratic presidential candidate Wayne Kent. Cutler takes the job and eagerly jumps into the political fray. When Kent wins the election, Cutler's thrilled to find himself Under Secretary of State. But he soon discovers that the power politics of Washington are a far cry from the comforts of university life. In order to survive, he must participate in a ruthless tug-of-war in which everyone struggles to promote his own agenda. As Cutler becomes increasingly absorbed in the underhanded tactics of bureaucratic survival and the charms of an old girlfriend working in the Pentagon, his initial foreign policy goals recede into the background. Ultimately, the allure and hypocrisy of political life cause him to alienate everyone he cares about,and to make one life-altering political miscalculation.