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Reviewed title: Kissinger, H (2022). Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy. Penguin Press,
New York (USA). 528 pages (English ed.). $36.00 (Hardcover). ISBN 978-0241542002.

Henry Kissinger’s illustrious diplomatic and political career brought him in close contact with
some of the most powerful wielders of the metaphorical sceptre, by virtue of their position or the
sheer force of their personality, sometimes both. These experiences (which include a tenure as
the United States Secretary of State under Richard Nixon) evidently shaped his view on power
and leadership, for he writes in the introduction to his book, Leadership: Six Studies in World
Strategy, “Without leadership, institutions drift, and nations court growing irrelevance and,
ultimately, disaster.”
Leadership… takes a look at the title character (so to speak) not in its entirety, but by homing in
on some of its aspects: the nuance of strategy, the usage of the past as a justification of present
decisions, the balance between the scientific and the strategic (which are, as per Kissinger,
antithetical, albeit in an abstract manner) - both in the global and the national (this term will be
explained in the next sentence) context. For this purpose, Kissinger has taken six world leaders
(thus explaining the national context mentioned in the previous sentence), all of whom he had, in
his own words, ‘the good fortune to encounter…at the height of their influence’. Included in this
list is of course Richard Nixon, whom Kissinger not merely encountered, but worked under as
both the Secretary of State and the National Security Advisor.
As aforementioned, the book follows six political leaders from the latter half of the 20th century:
Konrad Adenauer (the first Chancellor of post-Nazi Germany from 1949 to 1963), Charles de
Gaulle (President of France from 1959 to 1969), Richard Nixon (President of the United States
of America from 1969 to 1974), Anwar Sadat (President of Egypt from 1970 to 1981), Lee Yuan
Kew (Prime Minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990) and Margaret Thatcher (Prime Minister
of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990). A common thread that can be found in each of their
stories is that none of them were handed the reins of power in easy circumstances; Adenauer, for
example, was saddled with the unenviable task of navigating Germany out of the hot mess that
was Nazism. In a similar vein, Margaret Thatcher came to power at a time when the UK’s
economy was in desperate need of an overhaul. To make matters worse, she faced personal
obstacles on account of her being a woman; despite having been voted to office, she did not have
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an incredible following among the populace, nor did she have as much support as she did
tolerance within her own party. Leadership… thus seeks to explore the leadership skills of those
into whose hands were thrust the helm of a ship in exceedingly rough (if not downright deadly)
waters - from amongst the leaders Kissinger had the privilege of meeting up close, and in some
cases, even of calling a friend.
From a man with a lifetime’s worth of experience in diplomacy and administration at the highest
level, it is only logical to expect a high level of insight and analysis into the topic at hand. And in
that aspect, Kissinger’s latest work does not disappoint. Written in a lucid, unhurried style free of
unnecessary ornamentation, Leadership… approaches its subject matter in a linear style, painting
a picture of each leader using a combination of biographical details and impersonal analyses with
an occasional touch of the personal (for reasons mentioned above), all the while making good
use of speeches, memoirs or interview excerpts from the leaders themselves, bringing an
impressive level of authenticity to an already authoritative work. Kissinger’s personal
connections and interactions with these individuals add another layer to his commentary; in
addition to the geopolitical context that is expected from a work of this nature, the author helps
one see the human being behind these people who are, for more or less the entirety of their
tenure, under immense pressure to make decisions of unbelievable weight. One example can be
seen in the chapter on Konrad Adenauer, in which he recounts a few conversations he had with
the Chancellor; these interactions are shown to have helped Kissinger gain a deeper
understanding of the German leader’s attitude towards policies and people. One such anecdote
from the book goes thus:

On another occasion, he was ushering me into his office just as another visitor, who had
recently won media attention by attacking him, was leaving. My surprise must have been
evident at the cordial manner of their parting. Adenauer began the conversation with:
‘My dear Mr Professor, in politics it is important to retaliate in cold blood.’

Kissinger’s tendency to fall back on his memories (indeed a privilege in this context, it must be
said) is perhaps what makes Leadership… special compared to other academic texts dealing with
similar subjects. However, this is also its main failing: Kissinger at times lets his personal
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opinions and ideology cloud his judgement: for example, when talking of Anwar Sadat, who
was, for a prolonged period of time, vehemently against Israel and the United States, he drops
the mildly appreciative and even, at times, admiring tone he uses in other chapters and instead
adopts a formal, even cold (though never really openly critical) style. An even more explicit (and
more predictable) manifestation of this bias is in the chapter dealing with long-time superior,
Richard Nixon. That section of the book is a dead giveaway of Kissinger’s political and personal
leanings, from terming the Watergate scandal a ‘tragedy’ and lamenting at how it lessened the
influence Nixon eventually had on American foreign policy to stating, “The essence of Nixon’s
diplomacy lay in his disciplined application of American power and national purpose after it had
been on the verge of being consumed by domestic controversies,” quite conveniently ignoring
the fact that Nixon himself was forced to resign after being embroiled in one of the more famous
‘domestic controversies’ in American political history. It is, of course, far from surprising, given
the influence Kissinger himself had on several of Nixon’s policies, but it is still an unfortunate
(more so because of how glaring it is) shortcoming in an otherwise well-written book.
In conclusion, Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy is a painstakingly researched text with
an easy-to-follow structure and succinct insights, marred slightly by the author’s scarcely hidden
biases, which feel out of place in an otherwise ideologically balanced book. Personal attachments
to the leaders written about end up becoming a double-edged sword for Kissinger, and the
generally consistent nature of his writing makes this flaw all the more jarring. Unironed creases
notwithstanding, the bottomline remains that Henry Kissinger’s latest work is well worth a read
for its analytical quality, clear style and academic value.