Joseph S. Nye, Jr.

Cambridge Forum kicks off its 47th season by examining “leadership.” JOSEPH S. NYE, Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor, discusses his newest book Presidential Leadership and the Creation of the American Era with DAVID GERGEN. At a time when leadership in Washington is under fire, Nye assesses the effectiveness and ethics of their choices. He identifies two main types of presidential temperaments—transformational and transactional–and argues that both types were important in the development of the nation’s international power. What lessons from the American Century can we take into the unstable international arena of the early 21st century?  How does a contemporary leader work under the scrutiny of the 24/7 media and a crowd-sourced stream of commentary?

The book shows how transformational presidents like Wilson and Reagan changed how America sees the world, but argues that transactional presidents like Eisenhower and the elder Bush were sometimes more effective and ethical. It also draws important lessons for today's uncertain world, in which presidential decision making is more critical than ever.