Katharine Graham: The Leadership Journey of an American Icon

by Robin Gerber

For more than twenty years Katharine Graham was a self-described “doormat wife.” But after her husband’s suicide, she took over as publisher and CEO of The Washington Post and shocked the male executives who bet against her success. She defied the government by publishing the Pentagon Papers, took on the president in the Watergate investigation, and stood down a violent labor strike. Through every challenge she stuck by her values, building a diverse, profitable, and much-admired company.

Graham’s bestselling memoir Personal History gave readers this great woman’s intimate view of her own story. Now, Robin Gerber focuses on the heart of Graham’s success: her leadership. Gerber shows how Graham overcame an emotionally impoverished childhood, deep insecurities, and a marriage to a brilliant but mentally ill husband.

Drawing on exclusive interviews with some of her closest friends and colleagues, such as Ben Bradlee, Sally Quinn, Margaret Carlson, and Gloria Steinem, Gerber analyzes the principles that guided Graham’s toughest decisions.

Perceptive and thought provoking, Katharine Graham provides a wealth of lessons for anyone moving up the leadership ladder. It’s also a deeply inspiring and hopeful book, offering women who continue to face sexism in the workplace a model for personal triumph.

Genres: Biography, Journalism, Nonfiction, Politics, History

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a lesson that even with a fascinating subject, a book cannot be perfect. The prose for me, was often dry, with a lot of passive voice, and I wasn't too keen on the psychological analysis, which to me, often came off as invasive. The writing also came off as almost a superfan of Graham rather than neutral, never failing to praise her abilities or cut her a ridiculous amount of slack.
Still, though, this was a fascinating approach to a biography of this woman, from the formation of a leader. I liked how Gerber discussed how Graham's marriage — not as purely one thing or the other, but as providing her lessons that would come in useful later on in her life. This was also a complex portrait, of a woman with flaws, who erred, who tried her best, and who had a mantra throughout. This book succeeded at making me interested in Graham as a leader and person, and I hope to eventually read her autobiography.
Speaking of the autobiography, the book did a unique job at sourcing, talking to a variety of people and including parts of the autobiography yet looking at it through a critical lens. It asks of the autobiography what it includes and what it leaves out, what it focuses on and what it skims over.
So, while this was a mixed bag, at the very least, it gave me a woman I want to learn more about. And I appreciate it for that more than anything else.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

i mostly liked it because i love Katharine Graham so much & wanted more information. But if you want to about her life, read her autobiography Personal History. I'm going to reread it because it was that good.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding biography -- my favorite in a long time. Her story is profoundly touching, from the challenges she faced professionally as a woman of her time (a photo of Katherine at an Associated Press board meeting, in which she is the only woman at a giant table of 23 editors and publishers, gives a hint) and personally (her husband Phil Graham, who was bipolar, shot himself when she was in the house) to the courageous roles she played in US history, publishing the Pentagon Papers, reversing the Post's position on the Vietnam War, and sticking with the Watergate Story when no other papers would follow.

Her childhood gave her lifelong insecurities but also the seeds of leadership -- the core value of serving truth and justice along with a strong internal compass that guided her well. It's impossible to summarize her personality or achievements -- but I like this story from the book very much. "Katharine never strayed far from her reporting roots. Journalist Michael Dobbs remembers an interview at the Post with French president Francois Mitterand in the 1980s. Dobbs was supposed to write the story, but arrived late because of security procedures. The interview had already started. 'There were all those hotshot journalists there, and no one had remembered to turn on the tape recorder or take notes except for Mrs. Graham.' Dobbs had to write the story by relying on his boss's notes. 'She had been the most diligent of all of us,' he said. 'She kept good notes.' " Daughter of wealth, friend of the mighty, Publisher & CEO of the Washington Post empire, one of the greatest business people of her generation, regardless of gender, one of the most sought-after hostesses in the world -- she, of course, kept her eye on the ball.

[Christina Grenier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Katherine Graham is my new hero. She was an amazing women ahead of her time who broke through the ceiling that woman can run successful, profitable and integral companies. What I loved was her commitment to journalism and the fight for a free press. Wonder what she would think of social media attempting to replace the act of solid and honest reporting. She broke many rules in Washington and paved the way for many women. I wish I read this book earlier in my career and I am looking forward to finally reading her Pultizer-Prize memoir that has been on my bookshelf for years.

[Linda Still · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robin Gerber, a professor at the University of Maryland, focuses on the Katharine Graham's rise beyond being the daughter of an overbearing mother and wife of an abusive husband to become an outstanding leader of one of the great newspapers in the U.S. Gerber periodically contrasts her views of Graham regarding certain events to Graham's own views in her autobiography. I found this especially helpful. While the subject matter sounds heavy, it reads like a well-written story.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting woman. Well worth the read.

[Carolyn Leshyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cruise

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robin Gerber is a great author, easy reads. I really enjoyed her book on Eleanor Roosevelt.