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A Passion for Leadership: Lessons on Change and Reform from Fifty Years of Public Service
From the former secretary of defense and author of the acclaimed #1 best-selling memoir Duty, a characteristically direct, informed, and urgent assessment of why big institutions are failing us and how smart, committed leadership can effect real improvement regardless of scale. 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. Many despair that they are too big and too hard to reform. Robert Gates disagrees. Having led change successfully at three monumental organizations—the CIA, Texas A&M University, and the Department of Defense—he offers us 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, nuanced advice on tailoring reform to the operative culture (we see how Gates worked within the system to increase diversity at Texas A&M); effecting change within committees; engaging the power of compromise (“In the real world of bureaucratic institutions, you almost never get all you want when you want it”); 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.
233 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 19, 2016
158 people are currently reading
1235 people want to read
About the author
Robert M. Gates
16 books125 followersRobert Gates is a former U.S. Secretary of Defense and former Director of the CIA. Between those stints he was president of Texas A&M University, and he currently serves as chancellor of the College of William & Mary in addition to running a consultancy, Rice Hadley Gates LLC.
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February 13, 2016
I work in state government and have seen all the "barnacles" that Gates describes. I am closely observing how our newly-elected Governor, Matt Bevin (R), with no prior political experience, tries to lead Kentucky's executive branch bureaucracy through transformative change (my observations at the bottom of this review). I find it encouraging that a manager of billion dollar budgets would write a book specifically targeting leadership and management in government bureaucracies. He admits that much in the book is "common sense," but adds that the reader may be surprised how little actually exists in government management; Gates is exactly right, unfortunately. However, I felt that this book fell short of Gates' goal: making government a more encouraging place for Millennials to want to work, rather than shunning it as they increasingly do. He does little to prescribe anything specific toward the concerns of Millennials. I listened to Gates' recent interview about the book at the Council on Foreign Relations; he does a better job critiquing specific leaders and policies and stating the purpose of the book in the interview than he does in his writing. In his memoir Duty (which I loved), Gates was rather revealing in his criticism of specific policymakers and leaders; there is nothing like that in this book. I recommend Duty over this one, especially for more specifics about how Gates had to work and negotiate the Defense budget with the White House. Someone once said "where you find a leader, you find a reader," but Gates doesn't mention many books that were influential to his leadership-- a big disappointment, if not a red flag.
"Everyone hates bureaucracy," even those who work in them their entire lives. Gates worked in three different bureaucracies to trim the inefficiency and advance them into more modernity-- The CIA, The Defense Department, and Texas A&M. 95% of the book focuses on these three institutions, while the rest is autobiography and some mentions of the Boy Scouts and a few companies (Chili's, Starbucks) for which he serves on the Board. In government, you're usually legally limited in what you can offer by way of pay raises and advancement. Most leaders are short-term appointees, even if short-term means a full four-year term. He or she is then limited in what they can do, the budget he inherits, and not inclined to rock the boat. Gates had to reform the Defense Department's employee review system, it seems more archaic than the 360 degree method used at the State Department. In government, there is limited ability to mark someone down negatively on their performance reviews. Like Gates, I've seen supervisors inflate reviews positively in the hopes that another agency will hire the sub-standard employee away; there is little ability to fire someone.
Sec. Gates understands this environment and argues it is still possible to have transformative change and boost the morale of everyone, making the department or agency more efficient and productive. One book I kept thinking of in reading Gates' work is The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins (I highly recommend, especially if you're in a bureaucracy or an institution with any history or tradition). Gates does not give many specific prescriptions about how to go about implementing change quickly in a bureaucracy, but just some basic guidelines. Be aware that "outside ideas automatically generate antibodies within the organization." Gather input from stakeholders, inside and out, and set your goals "quickly." Make your goals known to everyone, and empower those beneath you to figure out how to accomplish them. Reach down to low-level employees for input, include them in the process. This will boost morale and give the Chief a greater understanding of how things look at the ground level. He encourages the reader to first gain respect of long-term employees and approach them with new ideas first; once they buy in, they will bring everyone else along.
Most of his "chafing against institutional tradition" stories come from Texas A&M, which is a different culture than most people outside of Texas realize. He first fought a battle to become President, his nomination was opposed by Governor Rick Perry, who made the fight personal. (Gates adds that he tried sending handwritten notes to Perry but never got a response.) When he wanted to increase racial diversity, he got pressured by university stakeholders and politicians. (Sadly, some in elected office privately agreed with him but publicly blasted him.) He simply let everyone felt the need to vent, and calmly pushed ahead because he knew it was the right thing to do. He was successful in seeing his minority initiative take hold and grow the diversity of the campus by (sadly) a large amount. He included students on his major decisions, including budgets. He reached out to many on campus, getting to know people from the bottom up before he announced any initiatives. Another initiative was to fire the AD and hire a new football coach to reinvigorate the base of football boosters and to empower Deans on their budgets and decisions. Gates moved power from trustees to a larger body that included councils made up of the deans of the colleges, requiring everyone make one-year and five-year plans by department, including specific goals of what would be accomplished in those years. He also worked to make A&M a more-recognized teaching university, initiating awards for faculty (I can't believe they didn't do this until his tenure).
Another weakness of the book is that Gates doesn't lay out his criteria for when to push back, when to compromise, and when to give in. When students started a living wage campaign, he started a working group to study the situation over the objection of certain stakeholders. While he personally disagreed with the need, he gave workers a modest raise. A&M has a large endowment plus money from Texas oil, so budgeting may not be much of a concern-- just look at what donors were willing to pony up for athletics facilities to compete with UT Austin. Where he had money, he spent it to placate his opposition, be it students or US Senators.
Gates doesn't write too much about institutional change at the CIA or Dept. of Defense. He mistakenly began his time at CIA with a scathing critique of the organization that led to hostility he would later regret-- live and learn. He would eliminate Don't Ask Don't Tell in the army and considers this a success, but omits the bit from his memoir of his anger at the Obama administration for pushing too fast and getting ahead of the formal review process previously negotiated on with the White House. Similarly, he has pushed the Boy Scouts toward more inclusive policies toward homosexuals.
The key to change is to focus on how people do their jobs, not where. Leave the organizational charts alone, focus on the efficiency of the tasks everyone actually performs. In implementing your strategy, make it clear that the outcome is the same for every goal. Form working groups and task forces so that everyone feels they are a part of the process. I was surprised he did not mention the importance of "red teams," people with an outside view to critique the assumptions and strategies. (That seems to be much more common at the CIA today than in Gates' time.) Include a clear timeline with your strategy. Gates spends an hour a day on his daily agenda alone, and how it fits into his larger strategies. Be sure to heap praise on workers at every level, but keep the BS to the minimum.
The most interesting advice comes in regards to the media and leaks: accept them, embrace them, "the media is not a hostile force." Gates would not have known troops needs for MRAPS or the scandalous conditions at the VA without the media. While he does disdain leaks of intelligence that put people in harm's way, he accepts leaks on major programs or budget decisions since it is taxpayer money and ridiculous to expect an airtight ship of thousands of employees who are affected by every cut. The leader should avoid opaqueness in the budget process, in any case. He urges political leaders not to be condescending to the media; "the media will always have the last word." Likewise, encourage candor among employees. Candor helps identify problems. He does mention that leaders who won't accept criticism or candor typically have insecurity issues and are poor leaders. Gates, however, does not talk about negativity or dealing with toxic attitudes among subordinates.
But Sec. Gates coyly explains that in diplomatic positions you have exercise self-discipline to put a lid on your candor in front of your patrons or superiors. "Never miss a good chance to shut up." "Always suppress the urge to blow up regardless of how stupid the idea is that you are hearing." Several in Congress were surprised to read of Gates' disdain for them in his memoir-- he gave no such hint of his disgust while in office. He exhorts the reader also not to be "little Stalins," those who make sure everyone obeys their whims or face punishment. He points out a few commanders and superiors he's met who were "jackasses" and Gates always told cadets they would work for at least one in their careers-- learn to deal with it and resolve not to be one yourself when you get a command. He encourages the leader to "fire incompetence instead of micromanaging it" but that contradicts his earlier understanding of how hard that is to do within the government merit system.
The book that comes closest to this one in my library is Colin Powell's It Worked for Me, which lays out his principles of management (more readable and applicable than Gates' work; interestingly, Gates doesn't mention Powell. Gates would seem to agree with Powell's principle "Don't be a busy bastard," don't be a workaholic such that your subordinates feel they have to match the effort to gain your favor. Gates did not work on Saturdays as a rule and let his subordinates go home. (I would note that Gates' successor Leon Panetta flew home to California most weekends with a similar mindset.)
Another merit to Gates' style, and perhaps something he has picked up from private companies he has worked with, is his belief that organizations should be aware of how they impact the community. He was briefed daily on conflicts between military bases and their civilian surroundings. He encourages open forums to talk to community leaders. Organizations, like their leaders, should be seen as having impeccable character. He reminds us that while the corrupt get media coverage, the best leaders have good character. Sometimes they don't get glory because they learned to compromise. He points Republicans to Ronald Reagan - Reagan said "take the deal if you can get 60" of the rest, you can come back for the rest later." Listen to views that are different, even if they are crazy. Plenty of times at Defense they would read an analysis that on its whole was "insane" but contained some kernels of truth or nuggets Gates hadn't considered. Gates closes the book with a rant on Congress for its polarization and unpopularity, further discouraging young people from considering public service.
My observation of newly-elected Governor Bevin is that his playbook is similar to Gates. He has reached down to low-level employees, letting lower-level staffers attend and voice opinions in meetings critical to forming his budget. He also encouraged all employees to email in ideas just before releasing his budget. (That maneuver was interesting because his budget decisions had already been made; perhaps some minor tweaks were made due to employee suggestions.) He invited them to his State of the Commonwealth and recognized them publicly.
Governor's Bevin's first budget contains the "intestinal fortitude" (Gates) of not budgeting to zero. While the cuts were widespread, there were some programs largely spared, so it was strategic and not completely across-the-board-- and Gates would agree with this strategy. Bevin implemented a hiring freeze, and Gates maintains such a freeze should not last longer than a year; it disrupts the flow of recruitment and replacement, and is dangerous for morale and efficiency. Further, implementation of Bevins cuts was delegated to the Cabinet Secretaries and program Commissioners. Bevin has, by and large, been slow to replace previous non-merit appointees. Gates was similar, adopting a philosophy of working with the previous administration's appointees until he could figure out who he could or could not work with.
Bevin's biggest departure from the Gates playbook has been with the media. Several writers covering the state have written of his harshness and condescension, both on the campaign trail and in office. Gates would remind Bevin that this is a long-run losing strategy because the media will always have the last word. The positives of the media (exposing corruption, finding mistakes to be corrected, etc.) outweigh the costs.
In all, I give this work 3 stars out of 5. I might highly recommend it if you are in government without a clue how to manage, but there are 100 books better than it if you work in the private sector without the same constraints. Gates leaves too much out that is critical to good management.
"Everyone hates bureaucracy," even those who work in them their entire lives. Gates worked in three different bureaucracies to trim the inefficiency and advance them into more modernity-- The CIA, The Defense Department, and Texas A&M. 95% of the book focuses on these three institutions, while the rest is autobiography and some mentions of the Boy Scouts and a few companies (Chili's, Starbucks) for which he serves on the Board. In government, you're usually legally limited in what you can offer by way of pay raises and advancement. Most leaders are short-term appointees, even if short-term means a full four-year term. He or she is then limited in what they can do, the budget he inherits, and not inclined to rock the boat. Gates had to reform the Defense Department's employee review system, it seems more archaic than the 360 degree method used at the State Department. In government, there is limited ability to mark someone down negatively on their performance reviews. Like Gates, I've seen supervisors inflate reviews positively in the hopes that another agency will hire the sub-standard employee away; there is little ability to fire someone.
Sec. Gates understands this environment and argues it is still possible to have transformative change and boost the morale of everyone, making the department or agency more efficient and productive. One book I kept thinking of in reading Gates' work is The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins (I highly recommend, especially if you're in a bureaucracy or an institution with any history or tradition). Gates does not give many specific prescriptions about how to go about implementing change quickly in a bureaucracy, but just some basic guidelines. Be aware that "outside ideas automatically generate antibodies within the organization." Gather input from stakeholders, inside and out, and set your goals "quickly." Make your goals known to everyone, and empower those beneath you to figure out how to accomplish them. Reach down to low-level employees for input, include them in the process. This will boost morale and give the Chief a greater understanding of how things look at the ground level. He encourages the reader to first gain respect of long-term employees and approach them with new ideas first; once they buy in, they will bring everyone else along.
Most of his "chafing against institutional tradition" stories come from Texas A&M, which is a different culture than most people outside of Texas realize. He first fought a battle to become President, his nomination was opposed by Governor Rick Perry, who made the fight personal. (Gates adds that he tried sending handwritten notes to Perry but never got a response.) When he wanted to increase racial diversity, he got pressured by university stakeholders and politicians. (Sadly, some in elected office privately agreed with him but publicly blasted him.) He simply let everyone felt the need to vent, and calmly pushed ahead because he knew it was the right thing to do. He was successful in seeing his minority initiative take hold and grow the diversity of the campus by (sadly) a large amount. He included students on his major decisions, including budgets. He reached out to many on campus, getting to know people from the bottom up before he announced any initiatives. Another initiative was to fire the AD and hire a new football coach to reinvigorate the base of football boosters and to empower Deans on their budgets and decisions. Gates moved power from trustees to a larger body that included councils made up of the deans of the colleges, requiring everyone make one-year and five-year plans by department, including specific goals of what would be accomplished in those years. He also worked to make A&M a more-recognized teaching university, initiating awards for faculty (I can't believe they didn't do this until his tenure).
Another weakness of the book is that Gates doesn't lay out his criteria for when to push back, when to compromise, and when to give in. When students started a living wage campaign, he started a working group to study the situation over the objection of certain stakeholders. While he personally disagreed with the need, he gave workers a modest raise. A&M has a large endowment plus money from Texas oil, so budgeting may not be much of a concern-- just look at what donors were willing to pony up for athletics facilities to compete with UT Austin. Where he had money, he spent it to placate his opposition, be it students or US Senators.
Gates doesn't write too much about institutional change at the CIA or Dept. of Defense. He mistakenly began his time at CIA with a scathing critique of the organization that led to hostility he would later regret-- live and learn. He would eliminate Don't Ask Don't Tell in the army and considers this a success, but omits the bit from his memoir of his anger at the Obama administration for pushing too fast and getting ahead of the formal review process previously negotiated on with the White House. Similarly, he has pushed the Boy Scouts toward more inclusive policies toward homosexuals.
The key to change is to focus on how people do their jobs, not where. Leave the organizational charts alone, focus on the efficiency of the tasks everyone actually performs. In implementing your strategy, make it clear that the outcome is the same for every goal. Form working groups and task forces so that everyone feels they are a part of the process. I was surprised he did not mention the importance of "red teams," people with an outside view to critique the assumptions and strategies. (That seems to be much more common at the CIA today than in Gates' time.) Include a clear timeline with your strategy. Gates spends an hour a day on his daily agenda alone, and how it fits into his larger strategies. Be sure to heap praise on workers at every level, but keep the BS to the minimum.
The most interesting advice comes in regards to the media and leaks: accept them, embrace them, "the media is not a hostile force." Gates would not have known troops needs for MRAPS or the scandalous conditions at the VA without the media. While he does disdain leaks of intelligence that put people in harm's way, he accepts leaks on major programs or budget decisions since it is taxpayer money and ridiculous to expect an airtight ship of thousands of employees who are affected by every cut. The leader should avoid opaqueness in the budget process, in any case. He urges political leaders not to be condescending to the media; "the media will always have the last word." Likewise, encourage candor among employees. Candor helps identify problems. He does mention that leaders who won't accept criticism or candor typically have insecurity issues and are poor leaders. Gates, however, does not talk about negativity or dealing with toxic attitudes among subordinates.
But Sec. Gates coyly explains that in diplomatic positions you have exercise self-discipline to put a lid on your candor in front of your patrons or superiors. "Never miss a good chance to shut up." "Always suppress the urge to blow up regardless of how stupid the idea is that you are hearing." Several in Congress were surprised to read of Gates' disdain for them in his memoir-- he gave no such hint of his disgust while in office. He exhorts the reader also not to be "little Stalins," those who make sure everyone obeys their whims or face punishment. He points out a few commanders and superiors he's met who were "jackasses" and Gates always told cadets they would work for at least one in their careers-- learn to deal with it and resolve not to be one yourself when you get a command. He encourages the leader to "fire incompetence instead of micromanaging it" but that contradicts his earlier understanding of how hard that is to do within the government merit system.
The book that comes closest to this one in my library is Colin Powell's It Worked for Me, which lays out his principles of management (more readable and applicable than Gates' work; interestingly, Gates doesn't mention Powell. Gates would seem to agree with Powell's principle "Don't be a busy bastard," don't be a workaholic such that your subordinates feel they have to match the effort to gain your favor. Gates did not work on Saturdays as a rule and let his subordinates go home. (I would note that Gates' successor Leon Panetta flew home to California most weekends with a similar mindset.)
Another merit to Gates' style, and perhaps something he has picked up from private companies he has worked with, is his belief that organizations should be aware of how they impact the community. He was briefed daily on conflicts between military bases and their civilian surroundings. He encourages open forums to talk to community leaders. Organizations, like their leaders, should be seen as having impeccable character. He reminds us that while the corrupt get media coverage, the best leaders have good character. Sometimes they don't get glory because they learned to compromise. He points Republicans to Ronald Reagan - Reagan said "take the deal if you can get 60" of the rest, you can come back for the rest later." Listen to views that are different, even if they are crazy. Plenty of times at Defense they would read an analysis that on its whole was "insane" but contained some kernels of truth or nuggets Gates hadn't considered. Gates closes the book with a rant on Congress for its polarization and unpopularity, further discouraging young people from considering public service.
My observation of newly-elected Governor Bevin is that his playbook is similar to Gates. He has reached down to low-level employees, letting lower-level staffers attend and voice opinions in meetings critical to forming his budget. He also encouraged all employees to email in ideas just before releasing his budget. (That maneuver was interesting because his budget decisions had already been made; perhaps some minor tweaks were made due to employee suggestions.) He invited them to his State of the Commonwealth and recognized them publicly.
Governor's Bevin's first budget contains the "intestinal fortitude" (Gates) of not budgeting to zero. While the cuts were widespread, there were some programs largely spared, so it was strategic and not completely across-the-board-- and Gates would agree with this strategy. Bevin implemented a hiring freeze, and Gates maintains such a freeze should not last longer than a year; it disrupts the flow of recruitment and replacement, and is dangerous for morale and efficiency. Further, implementation of Bevins cuts was delegated to the Cabinet Secretaries and program Commissioners. Bevin has, by and large, been slow to replace previous non-merit appointees. Gates was similar, adopting a philosophy of working with the previous administration's appointees until he could figure out who he could or could not work with.
Bevin's biggest departure from the Gates playbook has been with the media. Several writers covering the state have written of his harshness and condescension, both on the campaign trail and in office. Gates would remind Bevin that this is a long-run losing strategy because the media will always have the last word. The positives of the media (exposing corruption, finding mistakes to be corrected, etc.) outweigh the costs.
In all, I give this work 3 stars out of 5. I might highly recommend it if you are in government without a clue how to manage, but there are 100 books better than it if you work in the private sector without the same constraints. Gates leaves too much out that is critical to good management.
February 1, 2016
This is a biased review... I have a great deal of respect for Secretary Gates, having served under him when he was Secretary of Defense. It's so great to hear his take on reforming the large organizations he's been a part of, the CIA, Texas A&M University, Department of Defense and the Boy Scouts of America. The fact that he served affectively in the same position for two different presidents from different parties, is an indication of how honorable a man he is and how valued his opinion is. If you think of yourself as a leader and a reformer, this is a must read.
December 27, 2017
Fantastic book. Gates uses his lessons learned as the Director of the CIA, President of Texas A&M, and Secretary of Defense to write about leading change in large bureaucratic organizations. Gates focuses on a leader's ability to build teams and break down stovepipes as essential elements of strategic leadership. In building teams, Gates reflects that changing an organization may require a leader sacrifice speed of change with a gain of getting change right. Slowing down the pace allows for greater buy in of a program, as well as better developed recommendations from all those involved.
Gates also reflects on the value of investing in personal relationships to help in gaining support for change proposals. This may mean frequent meetings with academics and state legislatures while serving at a public university, or taking the time to engage with people on the hill while serving in the Pentagon or at Langley. It is a fast read, and worth the time to do so.
Gates also reflects on the value of investing in personal relationships to help in gaining support for change proposals. This may mean frequent meetings with academics and state legislatures while serving at a public university, or taking the time to engage with people on the hill while serving in the Pentagon or at Langley. It is a fast read, and worth the time to do so.
November 16, 2024
Required reading for a graduate seminar, “Challenges of International Management & Leadership.” Some great takeaways about the importance of fair treatment of employees and ensuring people are on-board with your reform plans as a new leader. My biggest criticism of the book is its repetitiveness in the important qualities of being a leader.
February 12, 2016
I've always enjoyed listening to Robert Gates speak and reading what he writes. I greatly enjoyed the opportunities I had to observe him in meetings dealing with Afghanistan and the very hard issues that required tough choices and tough decisions...which he always made with clarity. I also greatly enjoyed the several times I saw him interact with troops or preside over recognition ceremonies...always humble, modest, and genuinely engaged. Thus, you might say I was pre-disposed to like this book. However, I didn't give his book Duty the same high rating. His latest book compares his experience in three very different organizations (CIA, Texas A&M, DoD). It provides principles and suggestions with numerous personal examples (positive and negative) to make his points. Focusing on how senior leaders in public service should lead change and lead their people, his principles or suggestions are sound and insightful. I found his approach to the media, politicians, the public, and external stakeholders (alumni, veterans) especially useful for senior leaders.
May 1, 2017
One of the very few books I reserve for a five-star rating! Simply indispensable reference from a true American leader--former CIA Director, Secretary of Defence, Texas A&M President, and not leader of the Boy Scouts of America. Gates shoots straight, much like he did in his previous book, Duty, yet here he shares his accumulated wisdom on leadership more narrowly, sharing why he believes some things work and why they don't based on his experience working at very high levels. For leaders, you will resonate with the many recommendations, suggestions and stories he shares, ready to employ them yourself now or in future leadership opportunities. A must-read book that now goes on my highly recommend list!
March 4, 2017
Not "amazing," per se, but well worth a 5-star rating. Best book I've read on leadership in a very long time, and I have read many over the past 40 years or so. The author leverages his diverse and extensive leadership experience in both the public and private sectors to deliver a spot-on summary of attributes that are key to effective leadership, as well as highlighting common negative characteristics that can undermine a leader's initiatives and overall effectiveness. Most highly recommended!
July 3, 2018
deserves a regular re-read/review (just did a re-read, and I still agree. lots of good thoughts on leadership from a fantastic perspective)
June 15, 2017
Every leader--regardless of leadership experience--should read this book. It is a transformative map of ideas, implementations, and tough questions.
July 22, 2017
This really is not a political book. It's not even an academic book but really just Gates' 50 years of expertise on leadership and eliminating sluggish bureaucracy in the public and private sectors. Self-help books are not normally my thing, but I figured that maybe I should try and "improve" myself this year by adding a few to my repertoire. I was not disappointed. Not only was Robert Gates an incredible leader, turns out he is also a pretty decent writer. I typically don't take leadership advice from just anyone, but seeing as how he was the CIA director, president of Texas A&M, and Secretary of Defense (under 2 presidents), I figured I could deign to hear him out.
In a lot of ways this book was about power and how to use that effectively or...not. To me, having power seems like a whole hell of a lot of work and half the time I'd rather just escape to the mountains and be content with the fact that no one is counting the days till I return. As the old saying goes, "The cemeteries are filled with indispensable men." But then again, there is such a beauty to a strong, uncorrupted leader in the big worlds of politics and (inter)national intelligence...probably because it is seemingly so rare. And in THAT sense, power is more appealing. People that are dedicated to the common good and wellbeing because we truly are our brother's keeper. Real solidarity. I love that. And that's really what this book is about, in my humble opinion. Gates remarks that while a lot of CEOs and politicians out there aren't the best leaders they can be, don't lose hope. There are plenty of men and women behind the scenes with integrity and strong leadership skills. Guess we just need them to come out of hiding...
Anyways, the reason I am giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is because this book is probably mostly relatable to people who are already in some position of leadership and can directly apply lessons leaned here. I enjoyed it and think there is plenty I can glean from this book, but I'd say you definitely need to have an interest in the topic in the first place. I'm also fascinated by the world of intelligence and so his details about the CIA and experience as Secretary of Defense were amazing to me. There are many other general leadership books that could accommodate people from different walks of life, but this one stood out to be because of Gates' experiences. If that interests you too, then I highly recommend it.
In a lot of ways this book was about power and how to use that effectively or...not. To me, having power seems like a whole hell of a lot of work and half the time I'd rather just escape to the mountains and be content with the fact that no one is counting the days till I return. As the old saying goes, "The cemeteries are filled with indispensable men." But then again, there is such a beauty to a strong, uncorrupted leader in the big worlds of politics and (inter)national intelligence...probably because it is seemingly so rare. And in THAT sense, power is more appealing. People that are dedicated to the common good and wellbeing because we truly are our brother's keeper. Real solidarity. I love that. And that's really what this book is about, in my humble opinion. Gates remarks that while a lot of CEOs and politicians out there aren't the best leaders they can be, don't lose hope. There are plenty of men and women behind the scenes with integrity and strong leadership skills. Guess we just need them to come out of hiding...
Anyways, the reason I am giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is because this book is probably mostly relatable to people who are already in some position of leadership and can directly apply lessons leaned here. I enjoyed it and think there is plenty I can glean from this book, but I'd say you definitely need to have an interest in the topic in the first place. I'm also fascinated by the world of intelligence and so his details about the CIA and experience as Secretary of Defense were amazing to me. There are many other general leadership books that could accommodate people from different walks of life, but this one stood out to be because of Gates' experiences. If that interests you too, then I highly recommend it.
September 18, 2017
Really good book, and I think actually useful to leading change. The book does 3 things well: it defends public service as a noble and valuable profession; it draws strong and, to me, credible lessons about what is really necessary to effectively lead change that should apply to any leader; and it addresses how these lessons apply especially, and are most needed, in very large bureaucracies like the Department of Defense, and Texas A&M. I think this is the first book that addresses the role of leading change in national security organizations that I have ever seen, and, as such, provides a really useful companion to the "leadership in crisis" work that makes up most leadership books related to national security. Gates makes very specific and useful suggestions on what to do when you want to lead reform in large organizations, things you can actually implement (although some of them really apply only at the CEO level). He also makes a lot of comparisons between leadership of public bureaucracies and of private corporations, and makes a case that, in general, he finds a lack of leadership in both places, and believes that is the source of much of our people's decreasing faith in institutions, and argues that good leadership, focused on improving institutions, provides us with a way back from the quagmire of distrust we have seen in the last few administrations.
March 10, 2023
Amazing book about leadership from a dude who worked in the air force, CIA and also a university. Lots of different types of organizations and lead them all exquisitely well. How did he do that? See below for best bits:
Harry Truman once said, "Every great achievement is the story of a flaming heart." The task of reforming institutions is a difficult one. 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. She must believe in it before she can persuade others to believe in it. She must be prepared to put her job on the line for it if she is to ask others to risk their careers and reputations to help her. Woodrow Wilson wrote, "When you come into the presence of a leader of men, you know you have come into the presence of fire that it is best not incautiously to touch that man- that there is something that makes it dangerous to cross him." The reformer must be very tough and, from time to time, ruthless. She will sometimes stand absolutely alone in pressing for change. She must hold people accountable and be prepared to remove those who are opposed or who cannot do the job. She will encounter criticism-sometimes vicious and personal along the way. The path of the reformer of institutions is never easy and rarely downhill.
For openers, virtually all public bureaucracies report directly or indirectly to elected officials, whether Congress, state legislatures, presidents, governors, mayors, or city and county governing boards. Their political interests (getting reelected usually foremost among them) are often in direct conflict with efforts to streamline or reform the institutions they oversee.
Another unpredictable factor in the oversight of institutions-mainly public ones but a lot of businesses as well is the Uneven quality of the individuals elected or appointed to fulfill the role.
Members of Congress, state legislators, and (especially for business) regulators, for example, vary dramatically in expertise, diligence, understanding, and just plain smarts.
Fundamental to bureaucratic culture is risk avoidance: It is almost always safer for the public bureaucrat and too often the business bureaucrat as well to say no than yes. In a public environment of exposés, recrimination, fault finding, and investigations both by officials and by the media, not acting is usually safer than acting especially if the action involves something new or different.
John Adams, our second president, wrote to his son Thomas, "Public business my son, must always be done by somebody it will be done by somebody or other. If wise men decline it others will not: if honest men refuse it, others will not."
Shortly after arriving at A&M, I appointed Dr. David Priot, dean of the College of Geosciences, executive vice president and provost my second-in-command. We immediately undertook a rigorous schedule of visiting each of the colleges in the university (engineering, agriculture, science, liberal arts, veterinary medicine, and all the rest) to meet with the dean, department heads, and faculty on a listening tour.
A leader placed in charge of an organization facing a firestorm should reach for a hose, not a PowerPoint.
I think my approach to winning the confidence of students worked, because when I left the university to become secretary of defense, ten thousand of them turned out to say good-bye.
My chief of staff at Texas A&M was a young lawyer, Rodney McClendon. Rodney brought many skills to the position, but one special asset was that he knew by name nearly every staff person at A&M, whether secretaries, members of the grounds crew, people in food services, or custodians.
President Obama's onetime White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said you should never let a crisis go to waste, an important lesson for all leaders. Further, I would add, if a new leader manages a crisis effectively, it can have an enormous ripple effect, enhancing his authority and his ability to address other problems.
Many people in middle and senior positions have gotten where they are by offending as few people as possible and disrupting as little as possible.
The erudite Israeli foreign minister Abba Eban insightfully observed that a consensus means that "everyone agrees to say collectively what no one believes individually."
Duke Ellington was quoted as saying, "I don't need time. I need a deadline."
Increasing people's anxiety or fear by faultfinding is counterproductive. If an error is meaningless to the larger discussion, ignore it; dwelling on typos, format, or some trivial issue in a chart suggests to people that the leader is not just in the weeds but lost in them.
There is a famous story of the FBI director J. Edgar Hoover writing in the margin of a memo, "Watch the borders." As a result, a number of agents were dispatched to the Mexican and Canadian borders. When this was reported to Hoover, he furiously informed the briefer that his note had been referring to the size of the margins on the original memo, not the country's geographic borders.
Only later did I discover that there are little Stalins at every level of every organization.
The trouble is that little Stalins are often hard for superiors to spot because they usually relate well to those up the bureaucratic and corporate ladder and are considered by their bosses to be polite, reasonable, and effective. There seems to be a direct correlation between the meanness of a little Stalin downward and his or her talent for sucking up to superiors the "kiss up, kick down" syndrome.
The only way someone can achieve transformation in bureaucracy is to empower individuals to complete specific tasks, establish milestones to measure progress, and hold those individuals accountable for success or failure- and then reward or penalize as appropriate and possible.
The CIA director Bill Casey taught me an important lesson when it comes to listening, one that I found applied especially to such boards (and a broad range of other interlocutors as well). Most people, he told me, will listen to a speaker and if they disagree with part of what he or she says will reject everything said. Bill advised me not to focus on what I disagreed with but to see if there were one or two kernels of information or wisdom worth seizing on finding a little wheat amid all the chaff.
The famous football coach Vince Lombardi would warn his team, "If you aren't fired with enthusiasm, you'll be fired with enthusiasm."
I relate this story because, through this searing experience, I came to realize that while I had done nothing wrong, I hadn't done enough right.
A favorite saying of mine is "Never miss a good chance to shut up."
In the real world of bureaucratic institutions, you almost never get all you want when you want it. A good leader must compromise, adjust his plans, prioritize, and show flexibility and pragmatism. There is an old military saying that no plan survives first don-tact with the enemy. That is true in reforming institutions as well.
The Japanese some time ago developed a business practice called kaizen, which basically means continuing change for the better in all aspects of an organization engineering, information technology, financial, commercial, customer service, and manufacturing. Many companies around the world have adopted the practice, which includes a very open process encouraging suggestions for improvements large and small from employees at every level, including especially on the shop floor the folks on the front lines. Developed for business, the concept of kaizen seems to me to have equal value for public sector bureaucracies as well.
The central idea behind kaizen is very important: understanding that everything in an organization can always be improved and that people at every level can make a contribution.
Dwight D. Eisenhower wrote to his son in 1943, "The one quality that can be developed by studious reflection and practice is the leadership of men. . . . The idea is to get people working together . . . because they instinctively want to do it for you. Essentially, you must be devoted to duty, sincere, fair and cheerful
The Nobel laureate Anatole France once wrote: "To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe." To those who believe our institutions can be better than they are, I say, Dream. Believe. Plan. Act.
November 23, 2017
This was really a 2, but I rounded up to 3 because we need more books to be written about public service. In this case, the tone was off-putting and the content really wasn't very revolutionary. (I realized how much of a bureaucrat I am, by the fact that very few of his ideas were new to me, and none of them phased me.) Ultimately, this was like reading a 200-page resume, but I wanted to gain a much more genuine picture of the person and what they learned from successes *and* failures. Disappointing.
June 19, 2018
There are a ridiculous number of books available on leadership in very specific and general categories, however, Robert Gates' reflections in this work are heads and tails above the rest of the heap. This is true mainly for two reasons: First of all, Bob Gates is one of the most decorated leaders currently alive having successfully lead Texas A&M, the CIA, and as Secretary of Defense, and secondly, he writes honestly and thoroughly being general when necessary and quite specific and blunt as well.
Rather than engage in meandering, platitudinous generalities, Gates establishes his more general claims and qualities early on, then very clearly shows how failures and mismanagement could have been avoided in several of his positions and where very clear and specific ideas worked and why, and the summarizes why these methods and attributes are needed in public service today. Particularly interesting for me is how he dealt with several obstructions from state and local forces when working at Texas A&M and how he effectively worked within an academic culture, no easy feat.
Also his concluding remarks on the difference between being a manager and being a leader are fantastic and filled with insights into the type of leadership that is effective and is very much needed in public service today. His frequent referencing of John Adams' quote on this matter is very apropos to our current situation, "Public business my son, must always be done by somebody - it will be done by somebody or other - If wise men decline it others will not; if honest men refuse it, others will not."
Rather than engage in meandering, platitudinous generalities, Gates establishes his more general claims and qualities early on, then very clearly shows how failures and mismanagement could have been avoided in several of his positions and where very clear and specific ideas worked and why, and the summarizes why these methods and attributes are needed in public service today. Particularly interesting for me is how he dealt with several obstructions from state and local forces when working at Texas A&M and how he effectively worked within an academic culture, no easy feat.
Also his concluding remarks on the difference between being a manager and being a leader are fantastic and filled with insights into the type of leadership that is effective and is very much needed in public service today. His frequent referencing of John Adams' quote on this matter is very apropos to our current situation, "Public business my son, must always be done by somebody - it will be done by somebody or other - If wise men decline it others will not; if honest men refuse it, others will not."
May 13, 2016
I attended my daughter's graduation in 2006 at Texas A&M. The President of the University spoke a few minutes as his last official duty. he was soon to depart to be Secretary of Defense. He was humorous, articulate, clearly a leader, and not like any other university president that I had ever heard. I thought he was the commencement speaker with the wit and advise he delivered. But his job that day was to introduce the commencement speaker. How do you follow Robert M. Gates? The answer would be with an astronaut that delivered an even better speech.
This book was a pleasure to ready - not because of it being a scandalous expose, not because of the witty writing, but simply because Gates is a great man and a great leader. Why can't a man like this run for president? Because he is busy being a leader instead of an ego. Gates guides any willing follower through making impossible change in impossible, tradition bound organizations - the CIA, the Department of Defense, Texas A&M, and now the Boy Scouts of American. Worth paying full price for the hardback and keeping it as a reference for years to come.
This book was a pleasure to ready - not because of it being a scandalous expose, not because of the witty writing, but simply because Gates is a great man and a great leader. Why can't a man like this run for president? Because he is busy being a leader instead of an ego. Gates guides any willing follower through making impossible change in impossible, tradition bound organizations - the CIA, the Department of Defense, Texas A&M, and now the Boy Scouts of American. Worth paying full price for the hardback and keeping it as a reference for years to come.
Read
August 9, 2020This book was required reading for a graduate level Homeland Security course I took at the Bush School of Public Service and Government. I would HIGHLY recommend it for anyone currently serving or seeking to serve in a leadership position of any kind. While many of his points seem to be fairly common sense-based ideas, he also addresses many subtle nuances that too many “leaders” do not understand or simply ignore nowadays. He strikes a nice balance between grand, overarching themes and personal anecdotes that drive his main points home.
I will admit I may be a touch biased in my praise because the author served under President Bush (41) and spoke very highly of him — as I am attending President Bush’s school of government, I loved every reference to him! He also served as President of Texas A&M and I enjoyed his insights into how the university of my master’s program operates.
Also, I was particularly pleased by his intentional usage of the pronoun “she” many times when referring to leaders in the abstract 🙌🏻
I will admit I may be a touch biased in my praise because the author served under President Bush (41) and spoke very highly of him — as I am attending President Bush’s school of government, I loved every reference to him! He also served as President of Texas A&M and I enjoyed his insights into how the university of my master’s program operates.
Also, I was particularly pleased by his intentional usage of the pronoun “she” many times when referring to leaders in the abstract 🙌🏻
November 15, 2019
Had to read this book for a class and did not finish it because of its seeming lack of understanding of everyday leadership. Not everyone is going to be the president of a major university, the head of the CIA or the department of defense. If he was going to harp on his experiences there, I wish the book would have been moreso written as a memoir and less of a book of "lessons"… because these lessons were not necessarily applicable to ordinary people.
July 5, 2020
Worth a second read...
March 9, 2019
Gates is humble, intelligent, consistently funny and honest, which means that his advice works for people at any level of leadership.
April 29, 2021
Secretary Gates got seniority. With fifty years of public service he is definitely at the top of the High Sodium (meaning Salty Dog) List.
As a government leader he worked with or for: 8 U.S. Presidents, 14 secretaries of state, 13 secretaries of defense, 9 Joints Chiefs, 14 national security advisors, 10 CIA directors, and scores of admirals, generals, ambassadors, university presidents, and foreign heads of government.
Secretary Gates led the Central Intelligence Agency, Texas A&M University, and the largest most complex organization on the planet known as the Department of Defense. He is now the national president of the Boy Scouts of America. With all that Service to America, he got some real intellect on leadership and management.
Read this book to understand the meaning of bureaucracy, and the differences in thinking from the political Left and the political Right.
The Secretary has a perspective about labor unions: “The more a reformer can stifle his rhetoric and try to make the union leadership a partner in making needed changes, the better his odds of success. As far into the future as reformers can see, unions will be a fact of life. They are not to be ignored. A leader must figure out how to work with them, and persuading them that constructive change and improved performance are in their own self-interest is vitally important.” Dive into the manuscript to get a deeper understanding.
On the Community: Secretary Gates explains local communities as stakeholders and reminds the public that they matter and, if neglected, can cause a leader countless headaches. On the hand, the local community can also be a real asset in dealing with state legislatures or congressional delegations.
He offers guidance fort dealing with Arrogant Leaders: Especially those that
despise advice, operate barely inside the rules, lack self-awareness, and are unpleasant to deal with. Let’s concede, bullies can be found throughout the management ranks, not just at the top.
A Passion for Leadership offers great discussion and opinions dealing with:
Exhausted People who make bad decisions and give bad advice
Empowering subordinates
Implementing an agenda for change
The difference between micro-knowledge and micromanagement
The importance of deadlines in every initiative
The significance of transparency and sharing of information
Impacts of Salami-slicing budgets, and
The use of outsider task forces to examine internal problems.
The bottom line: It’s an important reference about people and how to lead them where they often don’t want to go. How a leader can make an institution better, both for those who work there and for those they serve. It’s about improving lives.
Typical of most organizations is the mantra, “If you’re on the outside looking in, you can’t understand it. If you’re on the inside looking out, you can’t explain it.”
That mantra is s right on point!
Get your copy of this important reference today. Write notes in it, and maintain it as a point of reference in your professional development library. Secretary Gates, thank you for sharing.
As a government leader he worked with or for: 8 U.S. Presidents, 14 secretaries of state, 13 secretaries of defense, 9 Joints Chiefs, 14 national security advisors, 10 CIA directors, and scores of admirals, generals, ambassadors, university presidents, and foreign heads of government.
Secretary Gates led the Central Intelligence Agency, Texas A&M University, and the largest most complex organization on the planet known as the Department of Defense. He is now the national president of the Boy Scouts of America. With all that Service to America, he got some real intellect on leadership and management.
Read this book to understand the meaning of bureaucracy, and the differences in thinking from the political Left and the political Right.
The Secretary has a perspective about labor unions: “The more a reformer can stifle his rhetoric and try to make the union leadership a partner in making needed changes, the better his odds of success. As far into the future as reformers can see, unions will be a fact of life. They are not to be ignored. A leader must figure out how to work with them, and persuading them that constructive change and improved performance are in their own self-interest is vitally important.” Dive into the manuscript to get a deeper understanding.
On the Community: Secretary Gates explains local communities as stakeholders and reminds the public that they matter and, if neglected, can cause a leader countless headaches. On the hand, the local community can also be a real asset in dealing with state legislatures or congressional delegations.
He offers guidance fort dealing with Arrogant Leaders: Especially those that
despise advice, operate barely inside the rules, lack self-awareness, and are unpleasant to deal with. Let’s concede, bullies can be found throughout the management ranks, not just at the top.
A Passion for Leadership offers great discussion and opinions dealing with:
Exhausted People who make bad decisions and give bad advice
Empowering subordinates
Implementing an agenda for change
The difference between micro-knowledge and micromanagement
The importance of deadlines in every initiative
The significance of transparency and sharing of information
Impacts of Salami-slicing budgets, and
The use of outsider task forces to examine internal problems.
The bottom line: It’s an important reference about people and how to lead them where they often don’t want to go. How a leader can make an institution better, both for those who work there and for those they serve. It’s about improving lives.
Typical of most organizations is the mantra, “If you’re on the outside looking in, you can’t understand it. If you’re on the inside looking out, you can’t explain it.”
That mantra is s right on point!
Get your copy of this important reference today. Write notes in it, and maintain it as a point of reference in your professional development library. Secretary Gates, thank you for sharing.
July 9, 2018
For more reviews and bookish posts please visit: http://www.ManOfLaBook.com
A Passion for Leadership: Lessons on Change and Reform from Fifty Years of Public Service by Robert M. Gates is a non-fiction book in which Mr. Gates talks about transforming large organizations from the inside. Mr. Gates has previously been Directory of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), president of Texas A & M University, as well as Secretary of Defense.
Robert Gates is one of those people that when I see them speak on TV, or hear them on radio/podcasts, I always stop and pay attention to what they have to say. When I saw A Passion for Leadership: Lessons on Change and Reform from Fifty Years of Public Service by Robert M. Gates I knew that I had to pick it up and check out what Mr. Gates has to say.
I was not disappointed, the book is a tell all narrative on how to manage and implement change in vast organizations. Mr. Gates builds a narrative which is not only full of substance, but an interesting read and flowing narrative.
Mr. Gates has taken leadership jobs in large bureaucracies, each job broadened his responsibilities and understanding of management and change. I was fascinated, but not surprised, to learn that the politics at the University of Texas A&M are just as vicious as they are in Washington DC.
Mr. Gates talks about being the only government official who, in his job as Secretary of Defense, transitioned from the administration of George W. Bush to the one under Barak Obama. Mr. Gates tells fascinating stories about the powerful people he had dealt with, while negotiating egos and world problems.
Mr. Gates does not only talks about problems, but also offers solutions which would reflect well on employees at all levels, in all industries. Even though this book talks about issues at large organizations, at very high levels, I found it not only readable, but also highly relatable.
A Passion for Leadership: Lessons on Change and Reform from Fifty Years of Public Service by Robert M. Gates is a non-fiction book in which Mr. Gates talks about transforming large organizations from the inside. Mr. Gates has previously been Directory of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), president of Texas A & M University, as well as Secretary of Defense.
Robert Gates is one of those people that when I see them speak on TV, or hear them on radio/podcasts, I always stop and pay attention to what they have to say. When I saw A Passion for Leadership: Lessons on Change and Reform from Fifty Years of Public Service by Robert M. Gates I knew that I had to pick it up and check out what Mr. Gates has to say.
I was not disappointed, the book is a tell all narrative on how to manage and implement change in vast organizations. Mr. Gates builds a narrative which is not only full of substance, but an interesting read and flowing narrative.
Mr. Gates has taken leadership jobs in large bureaucracies, each job broadened his responsibilities and understanding of management and change. I was fascinated, but not surprised, to learn that the politics at the University of Texas A&M are just as vicious as they are in Washington DC.
Mr. Gates talks about being the only government official who, in his job as Secretary of Defense, transitioned from the administration of George W. Bush to the one under Barak Obama. Mr. Gates tells fascinating stories about the powerful people he had dealt with, while negotiating egos and world problems.
Mr. Gates does not only talks about problems, but also offers solutions which would reflect well on employees at all levels, in all industries. Even though this book talks about issues at large organizations, at very high levels, I found it not only readable, but also highly relatable.
May 10, 2018
I usually do not wax poetic about public figures, especially those in politics. I try to remain objective which more often than not means that I am harsher in my judgments of things or people I like. I love Robert Gates and go out of my way to work with and for him. Knowing this, I read A Passion for Leadership trying hard to be objective about it. Even given my aforementioned predisposition towards such scenarios, I loved this book.
I find Gates to be refreshingly honest. I felt this way about his other book, Duty, as well. Gates discusses his failures at length in both books but as A Passion for Leadership is more self-improvement than the memoir, Gates talks about how to avoid his mistakes. Passion goes through Gates own career to offer examples and anecdotes upon which he elaborates and details the things that worked or could have worked better.
While discussing what he thinks leaders should do in certain situations, Gates ALWAYS refers to fictional leader with the pronoun "she". This is no small or inconsequential decision. I read a lot for work. Most of that reading is recommended by the Chief of Staff of the Army. This book is on that list. Additionally. Gates is a former Secretary of Defense for presidents of both parties. I can not recall a single book on leadership that I have read that used female pronouns for the bosses and supervisors in examples. While I look forward to the day that I don't notice decisions like this, I think that now and especially in today's Army, this is kind of a big deal and just reaffirms my opinion of Robert Gates. I hope we have more people like him representing us.
I find Gates to be refreshingly honest. I felt this way about his other book, Duty, as well. Gates discusses his failures at length in both books but as A Passion for Leadership is more self-improvement than the memoir, Gates talks about how to avoid his mistakes. Passion goes through Gates own career to offer examples and anecdotes upon which he elaborates and details the things that worked or could have worked better.
While discussing what he thinks leaders should do in certain situations, Gates ALWAYS refers to fictional leader with the pronoun "she". This is no small or inconsequential decision. I read a lot for work. Most of that reading is recommended by the Chief of Staff of the Army. This book is on that list. Additionally. Gates is a former Secretary of Defense for presidents of both parties. I can not recall a single book on leadership that I have read that used female pronouns for the bosses and supervisors in examples. While I look forward to the day that I don't notice decisions like this, I think that now and especially in today's Army, this is kind of a big deal and just reaffirms my opinion of Robert Gates. I hope we have more people like him representing us.
November 22, 2020
"A Passion for Leadership" by Robert Gates was an excellent book for me as I prepared for my job leading the Army ROTC and Military Science Department at Virginia Tech. Secretary Gates reviewed his 50 years of public service with particular attention to his time as CIA Director, President of Texas A&M, and Secretary of Defense. The central tenets of the book deal with the need for continuous reform and improvement of institutions (both public and private) and the qualities of the leaders who undertake and implement such change. He first addresses the challenges to reform—especially in bureaucracies, which left to their own devices will subvert change in favor of the status quo. He talks about strategies for change and stresses the importance of focusing on the mission and the people. A leader focuses on the mission to develop a vision for change, but first consults with those on the front lines of carrying out that mission to gain their input and buy-in. The leader also succeeds by understanding and preserving core traditions. Gates also frames his book as a call to enlightened public service with an idealism that rises above narrow partisan interests. In addition to being valuable for my new position, these ideas are certainly relevant and refreshing in light of our nation’s current polarization and acrimony. Having served Presidents from both parties, Robert Gates is an excellent example of a principled reform agent, leader, and public servant who current and aspiring leaders would do well to emulate.
May 23, 2020
This book was an excellent collection of stories, reflections, and summarized insights into how to be an effective leader. Although big bureaucracies are a focus of the book, many lessons apply to leading a small team, something I have done for the past 9 years.
Gates reinforced some thoughts I’ve had about leadership, but also provided many new ideas about leadership, especially thanks to his experience with many different types of large bureaucracies.
Near the end of the book, Gates mentions although he has not taken formal leadership training since he was a teenager in 1959, his leadership education has been lifelong. That is an overarching message of this book: education, reform, and change are long-term things. A desire and respect for lifelong learning is an important aspect of anyone I collaborate with, and that quality of long-term improvement is a core principle in this book.
Importantly, Gates encourages reform by using an inclusive, transparent (as much as is feasible, anyway), and collaborative way. He encourages this not just because it’s some morally purer way of reforming and leading, but because it leads to better outcomes. People feel better about change when they’ve had a voice in the process, and the more people you can include, the more people will be bought into the vision.
Recommended for anyone interested in leadership, or anyone currently leading.
Gates reinforced some thoughts I’ve had about leadership, but also provided many new ideas about leadership, especially thanks to his experience with many different types of large bureaucracies.
Near the end of the book, Gates mentions although he has not taken formal leadership training since he was a teenager in 1959, his leadership education has been lifelong. That is an overarching message of this book: education, reform, and change are long-term things. A desire and respect for lifelong learning is an important aspect of anyone I collaborate with, and that quality of long-term improvement is a core principle in this book.
Importantly, Gates encourages reform by using an inclusive, transparent (as much as is feasible, anyway), and collaborative way. He encourages this not just because it’s some morally purer way of reforming and leading, but because it leads to better outcomes. People feel better about change when they’ve had a voice in the process, and the more people you can include, the more people will be bought into the vision.
Recommended for anyone interested in leadership, or anyone currently leading.
February 9, 2020
This is my all-time favorite leadership book - especially as it relates to government work. He has had varied experience and has learned a lot from those experiences. I have yet to hear a negative word about his leadership at the Pentagon, at A&M and elsewhere. In fact, immediately after reading this, I happened to be spending a couple of days with a retired professor from A&M who confirmed to me what I had read and heard - he was one of the best Presidents at A&M (the other one being the President who pushed A&M to become coed, among other things).
There are a lot of leadership books out there - usually with some quick gimmick about how to lead. Few tell you the pitfalls and challenges in leadership - especially when you lead a governmental organization beholden to a range of stakeholders - whether they be elected officials, citizens, or other constituent folks (like students, parents, alumni for colleges and current military, citizens and veterans of the various branches for military). Each of these groups have, sometimes, competing interests and various knowledge about the current issues facing the organization. Gates acknowledges these competing interests and suggests ways for navigating these constituencies as you make changes to the organization to meet current and future challenges and opportunities.
There are a lot of leadership books out there - usually with some quick gimmick about how to lead. Few tell you the pitfalls and challenges in leadership - especially when you lead a governmental organization beholden to a range of stakeholders - whether they be elected officials, citizens, or other constituent folks (like students, parents, alumni for colleges and current military, citizens and veterans of the various branches for military). Each of these groups have, sometimes, competing interests and various knowledge about the current issues facing the organization. Gates acknowledges these competing interests and suggests ways for navigating these constituencies as you make changes to the organization to meet current and future challenges and opportunities.
July 1, 2025
Gates has been on my radar for an extremely long time (especially since his appearance in the famous photo of the Obama national security team watching the Bin Laden raid unfold in the Situation Room), so it was interesting to read his memoir. This book fortunately goes beyond your median "I've had an accomplished life and therefore everyone should listen to what I have to say" memoir format, as it covers his time in the NSC, the IC, and (sigh) Texas A&M in positions of high leadership.
While much of what he ultimately preaches isn't anything new (e.g. "be willing to commit to public service," "be accountable to people underneath you in the power structure, etc.), this book shines when it highlights these lessons in action in his various roles across academia, government, and the military. The main takeaway in my eyes was that good leadership is a skill (or skill-set) that translates across a variety of domains and constituents - and that the fundamentals are fundamentals for a reason.
A pretty quick read, and worth it if you're into the Inspiring Leadership Memoir genre.
While much of what he ultimately preaches isn't anything new (e.g. "be willing to commit to public service," "be accountable to people underneath you in the power structure, etc.), this book shines when it highlights these lessons in action in his various roles across academia, government, and the military. The main takeaway in my eyes was that good leadership is a skill (or skill-set) that translates across a variety of domains and constituents - and that the fundamentals are fundamentals for a reason.
A pretty quick read, and worth it if you're into the Inspiring Leadership Memoir genre.
September 13, 2017
This book is on leadership tactics to manage large organizations. Gates jumps between his experiences as CIA director, president of Texas A&M, and Secretary of Defense. The writing is easy to follow but the organization is lacking. Jumping between all three positions made his advice a bit confusing at times.
The spoiler contains a few random observations:
The spoiler contains a few random observations:
January 3, 2021
Mr. Gates's book on leadership impressed me greatly. What is more is that it gave me hope. The whole book reads just like a Harvard Business Review Management Tip of the Day that keeps going and going and going. As soon as I finished my copy that I checked out from the New York Public Library, I placed it on my Barnes and Noble wishlist so that someday I can own my own copy. The book has a great index to use to review important topics in the text. I have two other Robert M. Gates books and now plan on reading all the ones that I have and getting and reading right away the ones that I don't. Perhaps greatest of all is Mr. Gates affirming for me that which I have always known: the value and honor of serving the public good.
February 15, 2019
Probably more like 3.5 stars. I met Gates when he spoke at my university a few years ago and recently got this book as a gift. Overall, there are some really great points (bolded and italicized) throughout the book. However, after each salient point, Gates seems to ramble on about experiences. Now, I'm not taking anything away from his storied career of service to our country and TAMU, it just seems Gates does not buy into the ideal that brevity is the soul of wit. Ultimately, if you are interested in leadership or service of any kind, I would recommend this book, just understand you'll be reading a 200+ page book that could probably be a lot more potent in about 100.
May 18, 2022
Powered through it on overtime.
Yet again. I want to raise a glass with this man.
This is no -nonsense, practial, down to earth leadership advice. I found myself nodding along with some of his passages. He GETS it. The stories are kept to a manageable quantity and they all relate to leadership.
He mentions, again, the only leadership course he took was Philmont back in 1959. Less discussion of the Boy Scouts of America but still relevant.
Anyone who is struggling with finding the way in a bueracracy or wanting to implement change would do well to read this book. Additionally ties in that we need character to lead. A hugely motivating statement.
Yet again. I want to raise a glass with this man.
This is no -nonsense, practial, down to earth leadership advice. I found myself nodding along with some of his passages. He GETS it. The stories are kept to a manageable quantity and they all relate to leadership.
He mentions, again, the only leadership course he took was Philmont back in 1959. Less discussion of the Boy Scouts of America but still relevant.
Anyone who is struggling with finding the way in a bueracracy or wanting to implement change would do well to read this book. Additionally ties in that we need character to lead. A hugely motivating statement.
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