Capitol Secrets: Leadership Wisdom from a Lifetime of Public Service

by Bill Leighty

In Capitol Secrets, Bill Leighty reveals his leadership wisdom from a lifetime of public service. From serving across party lines under twelve U.S. Governors, including serving as Chief of Staff for two different U.S. Governors, Bill Leighty shares insights and secrets that every leader needs to know to run a successful organization.

310 pages, Paperback

Published April 14, 2023

Reviews

[Rob McClintock · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir of a consummate bureaucrat, Bill Leighty, who served 12 Virginia Governors, two of whom he served as chief of staff. He adopts a nice conversational style in his book which keeps things moving along. My career in Virginia state government overlapped his and many of the figures he speaks of were folks that I interacted with as well. He provides plenty of "behind the scenes" vignettes in which you can in your mind "hear the people" saying these things. I especially appreciated his sharing how one often gets pulled in to solve unforeseen problems and to do so, often entails solving side issues to get the main thing accomplished. The section describing the crisis of the Virginia Tech mass shooting was especially revealing, and poignant. At the end he shares "secrets" of success in public service, but most apply extremely well to any career. His advice to build and cultivate a great network is spot on as is making sure to share gratitude and kudos to others. He has crafted a nice memoir and for those who appreciate the sacrifice and fulfillment of public service, I would commend this book to you. There were a number of places where some extra proofreading would have been helpful as there are a host of typos and missing words along the way, especially in the latter half of the book.

[Charles Conner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This an excellent and humorous guide to government management and how to succeed as an executive within a public space. Mr. Leighty provides key insights to the best ways to expand your network and better your own personal development set against the backdrop of his time working in several different government roles including Chief of Staff to Governors Mark Warner and Tim Kaine.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to find good books about state politics, but this one was helpful and interesting. I read it with students in state and local politics. They found the author to be a bit full of himself, but I think that's kinda what is needed to be successful as a governor's chief of staff. It was a good window into how things really work in government.

[MaryBeth Long · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming stories which will amuse those with knowledge of Virginia politics over the last 30 years. Some of the tales were laugh-out-loud funny. The typos and off font and page style were distracting.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Virginia political junkies need this one on their bookshelf. Bill Leighty captures moments & personalities that were concurrent with my service. Love the Leo Wardrup story. Bill also impressed me with his candid comparison of Governors Warner & Kaine.

[Ted Mccormack · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a contemporary of the author in Virginia government, but at a much lower level, it's interesting to read some of the behind the scenes action.