…we need inspirational voices for the ultimate oneness of humanity. This is what leadership theorist Howard Gardner calls “enlarging the sense of we,” says Bruce Jentleson in his recent book, Peace Makers: Leadership lessons from Twentieth-Century Statesmanship (W.W. Norton & Company, 2018).
In fascinating stories of breakthroughs in peace making that have been made in the twentieth century, Jentleson shows how and why these particular acts of statesmanship succeeded and makes the case for other leaders following their proven example today. His book is accessible to the average reader yet has the complexity, thoroughness, insightfulness and analytical approach to become a classic in top graduate schools around the world.
Jentleson’s criteria for choosing twentieth-century leaders offers a guide for any future leader who seeking to make breakthroughs in global peace:
· Transformational statesmanship more than transactional diplomacy
· Impact had—(rather than position held)
· Statesmanship “money-ball” – a term to which he applies his own SARL formula (statesmanship-above-replacement-leader) to analyze statesmanship using a who, what, why, how approach.
Personal stories that take the reader backstage in the lives of people like Nelson Mandela, Henry Kissinger, Lech Walesa, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Gorbachev, Woodrow Wilson & FDR, and more are fascinating and informative. Brilliant leaders are presented in context of their lives and times, and their humanity with its frailties as well as its heroic qualities. The reasons for their successes become clear, and have a common thread. Each was willing to find point of connection and commonality based on a shared objective. Each was willing to let go of areas on which agreement could not be found, in service of the common goal.