Hearts Touched with Fire: How Great Leaders are Made

This instant New York Times bestseller is an “inspiring and useful” (The Washington Post) guide to the art of leadership from David Gergen—former White House adviser to four US presidents, CNN analyst, and founder of the Harvard Center for Public Leadership. As nations careen from one crisis to the next, there is a growing cry for fresh leadership. Those in charge have relatedly fallen short, and trust in institutions have plummeted. So, what does great leadership look like? And how are great leaders made? David Gergen, a leader in the public arena for more than half a century, draws from his experiences as a White House adviser to four presidents, his decades as a trusted voice on national issues, and years of teaching and mentoring young people to offer a stirring playbook for the next generation of change-makers. To uncover the fundamental elements of effective leadership, Gergen traves the journeys of iconic leaders past and present, from pathbreakers like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, John Lewis, John McCain, and Harvey Milk to historic icons like Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Winston Churchill, and Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, to contemporary game changers like Greta Thunberg, the Parkland students, and the Black Lives Matter movement. Leadership is a journey that starts from within, Gergen writes. A leader must become self-aware and then achieve self-mastery. You cannot lead others until you can lead yourself. As you start to leap into the world, you begin your outer journey, overcoming setbacks, persuading others, empowering them, and navigating crises—armed with a sense of history, humor, passion, and purpose. By linking lessons of the past with the ever-changing practice of leadership today, Gergen reveals the time-tested secrets of dynamic leadership. A “clarion call for lives dedicated to service and leadership” (Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize­–winning author of Leadership), Hearts Touched with Fire distills experience and wisdom of the past into an invaluable guide for leaders of our future.

About the Author :
David Gergen has been a leader in the public arena for more than half a century. He has served as a White House adviser to four US presidents of both parties: Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Clinton. Gergen then served as the editor of US News & World Report. For the past two decades, he has served as a professor of public service and founding director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is also a senior political analyst for CNN where he is a respected voice in national and international affairs.

Review :
“[A] fascinating, multilayered book. . . . inspiring and useful . . . Few books have so much to offer readers contemplating whether to enter the arena. We should hope they heed Gergen’s compelling call to action.”—The Washington Post “The same ol’ same ol’ is no way forward. Thanks to Gergen, the seed has been planted. The question is whether his contemporaries can embrace their highest purpose — to ensure that the next generation has the skills and tools to lead the country toward a more-perfect union.”—The Washington Post “A clarion call for lives dedicated to service and leadership, offering sage lessons and a unique perspective borne of Gergen’s own heralded half-century career in the public arena. Now is the moment for this vital and compelling work.”—Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize-winner and author of Leadership: In Turbulent Times  “Blending passion and wisdom, David Gergen delivers an inspired call and practical guide—a written form of mentorship—for those with decades of life in leadership yet to give.”—Jim Collins, author Good to Great, co-author of Built to Last  “A must read for any American, young or old, who wants our country to live up to its promise. Hearts Touched With Fire is an honest, heartening owner’s manual, one that can shape fresh leaders to guide this experiment we call America. For those who wish to lead the change and restore confidence in America, this invaluable book is the roadmap.”—General Jim Mattis, U.S. Marines (ret.) & 26th Secretary of Defense  “Hearts Touched With Fire shows how young Americans are continuing the legacy of working together to create a better future for all. A powerful reminder of the necessity of hope in times like these.”—David Hogg, gun violence prevention activist and co-founder of March for Our Lives  “David Gergen speaks directly and lovingly to a rising generation of diverse new leaders. Hearts Touched With Fire not only asks young people to commit to lives of service and leadership but provides them with the tools and guidance to do so. Beautifully rendered and full of optimism, this is a book we need now, one that will buoy the soul and should catalyze us all to action.”—Cheryl L. Dorsey, President, Echoing Green   “David Gergen knows power, and he understands leadership. From his unique vantage point as an advisor to presidents of both parties—something nearly unimaginable today—he has gleaned a lifetime of lessons about how to inspire and to instruct. Hearts Touched With Fire is an invaluable guide to making things—good things—happen.”—Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winner and author of His Truth is Marching On  “With customary eloquence and wit, David Gergen offers us invaluable insights from his decades of observing, researching, teaching and practicing leadership.  His book is an indispensable contribution to our understanding of how to create the ethical and effective leaders we so badly need.”—Drew Faust, President Emerita of Harvard University and the Arthur Kingsley Porter University Professor  “A wonderful leadership manual drawing on dozens of insights and anecdotes from David Gergen’s decades-long career. Hearts Touched With Fire provides us with a moral compass, showing how we can find our True North and stay the course. An essential read.”—Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum  “David Gergen has studied leadership for decades — as a White House adviser and as an educator — and has now written a masterpiece on the subject.  I highly recommend this book for all who care about leadership in decades ahead.”—David Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of The Carlyle Group, New York Times Bestselling author of How To Lead and The American Experiment  “A must-read for everyone who aspires to achieve a worthy mission, especially the young men and women, the world over, who are now beginning to make their impact felt and known.”— Nancy Koehn, Historian and James E. Robison chair of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, author of Forged in Crisis  “Hearts Touched With Fire shows how young Americans are continuing the legacy of working together to create a better future for all. A powerful reminder of the necessity of hope in times like these.”—David Hogg, gun violence prevention activist and co-founder of March for Our Lives