The Powers to Lead

Abstract

Joseph Nye is University Distinguished Service Professor and Sultan of Oman Professor of International Relations at Harvard University. He is also the former Dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Nye has worked in three government agencies. He served as Deputy to the Under Secretary of State for Security Assistance, Science and Technology, from 1977 to 1979. He held the position of chairman of the National Intelligence Council, which coordinates intelligence estimates for the President, from 1993 to 1994. He then served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, from 1994 to 1995.

Nye is author of numerous books and more than 150 articles in professional journals. His most recent publication is The Powers to Lead (Oxford University Press, 2008). In this book, Nye discusses the nature of leadership and how it has been transformed by the information revolution. He also explores his theory of soft power, a leadership approach that seeks to attract, inspire, and persuade rather than dictate.