Article Summary:
In these times of polarization and division, we need a call to higher leadership. A tribute to David Gergen’s legacy, featuring his principles and career highlights as well as reflections from prominent leaders on his service and impact.
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David Gergen’s extraordinary and inspiring career spans public service, journalism, academia, and thought leadership—anchored always in a deep commitment to family, country, and character. He died last week at the age of 83.
Born in North Carolina in 1942, David Gergen came of age in a region steeped in civic tradition. He studied history at Yale University, where he became fascinated with the interplay of ideas, power, and public life. Next, he attended Harvard Law School, sharpening his analytical skills and critical thinking.
Beyond his academic pursuits, Gergen served four years in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. As an engineering damage-control officer aboard a repair ship based in Japan, he gained firsthand experience with leadership under pressure.
“Learning to control damage, it turned out, was the best possible preparation for my coming years in the White House.”
-David Gergen, Eyewitness to Power
Gergen went on to serve as a senior communications and crisis management advisor to four U.S. presidents—Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton. It’s remarkable that he was so valued and trusted that presidents from rival parties wanted his advice and counsel. (A political independent, he was described as a “foreign policy hawk committed to social progress.”)
David Gergen later became editor and columnist for U.S. News & World Report and a trusted voice on CNN, NPR, and PBS, helping millions make sense of a highly charged and often bewildering and disheartening political landscape.
In his later years, Gergen turned his gaze to the next generation of leaders. As a professor at Harvard Kennedy School, he co-founded the Center for Public Leadership and served as its inaugural director, teaching and mentoring hundreds of aspiring public servants and changemakers. Over the course of his life, he was awarded more than two dozen honorary degrees, a testament to his far-reaching impact across sectors.
David Gergen has been described as an “understated” and mild-mannered but deeply committed “trusted advisor” and “loyal advisor.” He was “celebrated for his ability to bridge partisan divides with grace and wisdom, a steady voice across multiple crises.” He earned “commanding bipartisan respect” and was known for his remarkable influence and unique and powerful blend of idealism and pragmatism.
Way back in 1994, he lamented and condemned the “breakdown of goodwill among elected politicians.” If only we’d listened to him then and avoided this dangerous dynamic that festers and spreads even more today, threatening so much we hold dear by turning good-hearted and freedom-loving brothers and sisters against one another.
David also wrote two excellent and influential leadership books: Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership, Nixon to Clinton and Hearts Touched with Fire: How Great Leaders Are Made.
Beyond his professional contributions, David Gergen was a devoted husband and father. He and his wife raised two children, including Christopher Gergen—an accomplished and inspiring social innovator and changemaker in his own right (and my friend and co-author).
David Gergen on Leadership
Here we turn to David Gergen in his own words about leadership, organized in two themes. First, Gergen reminds us that leadership starts from within—with character and a deep sense of self-awareness. Second, he underscores that knowing your values isn’t enough; you must also recognize the traits or behaviors that could derail your leadership under pressure. In a time when public trust in leaders is at rock bottom, Gergen’s insights offer a timely and urgent call to cultivate inner depth and fortitude and address our blind spots before they wreak havoc on ourselves and others.
I. David Gergen on Character and Self-Awareness
- “In difficult storms, I believe, your first resource as a leader is always to values and principles.” -David Gergen, Hearts Touched with Fire: How Great Leaders Are Made
- “At the heart of leadership is the leader’s relationship with followers. People will entrust their hopes and dreams to another person only if they think the other is a reliable vessel.” -David Gergen, Eyewitness to Power
- “Trust remains the coin of the realm in politics. A President who is trusted, by the people, by the Congress, by the press, by foreign countries, is a President who can get a lot of good things done.” -David Gergen
- “…leadership starts from within. It’s important to learn how the world works, but it is even more important to learn how you work.” -David Gergen, Hearts Touched with Fire
- “a stoic always kept two files in his mind: one for those things that are up to him and within his power, and one for those that are not up to him and thus beyond his power. If you pay lots of attention to events beyond your power, you will ultimately have a life of fear and guilt; you must let those go and pay attention only to those things within your power.” -David Gergen, Hearts Touched with Fire
Personal Values Exercise
Complete this exercise to identify your personal values. It will help you develop self-awareness, including clarity about what’s most important to you in life and work, and serve as a safe harbor for you to return to when things are tough.
II. David Gergen on Leadership Derailers and Dangers
- “The single greatest danger for most leaders is self-derailment.” -David Gergen, Hearts Touched with Fire: How Great Leaders Are Made
- “Before you can persuade others to follow, you must focus on building up your strengths, relentlessly improving your performance, and conquering your dangerous weaknesses.” -David Gergen, Hearts Touched with Fire
- “In leadership, the number one danger is that success will go to your head—that you will begin to believe your success means you are above mere mortals and that the rules don’t apply to you. Ambition leads to self-confidence, which leads to arrogance, which leads to self-destruction.” -David Gergen, Hearts Touched with Fire
- “We’ve seen the hubris. And now we’re seeing the scandals.” -David Gergen
- “Most books about leadership tell us what a person ought to do to become effective and powerful. Few tell us what to avoid. But the latter may be even more valuable because many people on the road to success are tripped up by their mistakes and weaknesses.” -David Gergen, Eyewitness to Power
Leadership Derailers Assessment
Take this assessment to identify what’s inhibiting your leadership effectiveness. It will help you develop self-awareness and identify ways to improve your leadership.
Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University
A defining element of David Gergen’s legacy will be the far-reaching and enduring impact of the Center for Public Leadership (CPL) at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, which he co-founded. CPL focuses on fostering excellence in leaders for the common good by combining academic study with real-world practice.
CPL has more than 120 student fellows each year and has more than a thousand alumni. Its programs include graduate student fellowships, a leadership and happiness laboratory, a democracy project, and programs on crisis leadership, social innovation, social justice, and negotiation and conflict resolution.
The Center stands as a living embodiment of David’s values and priorities—character, service, cross-partisan cooperation, and the development of principled, effective leaders. Through its fellowships, research, and leadership development programs, the Center continues to shape generations of changemakers committed to the public good, reflecting Gergen’s deep belief that leadership grounded in character and contribution can elevate institutions, communities, and nations.
Reflections on David Gergen from Others
Here we turn to reflections on the life and legacy of David Gergen from elected officials at the highest levels and other prominent people. Their comments reveal the deep and lasting impact of a man who led with wisdom and bridged divides while inspiring a higher standard of leadership and public service.
“Of the countless ways that David Gergen contributed to our great country, what I will remember him for most was his kindness to everyone he worked with, his sound judgment, and his devotion to doing good in the world.” –Al Gore, former U.S. Vice President
“A Giant Has Fallen…. To the world, David will be known as an amazing moral leader, who was truly authentic, always speaking the truth, and doing so with kindness. He never wavered in his beliefs, his values, and his integrity…. His passing leaves a huge hole in my heart. I hope in my years ahead, I will do my best to carry on David’s legacy.” –Bill George, author and former CEO, Medtronic
“A prolific writer, deep thinker, effective communicator, and astute political advisor, for all his incredible political achievements, David’s deepest legacy is not in speeches written or policy victories won, but in people: the people David loved, mentored, and supported, the hearts he touched with fire…. As a founder of our center, David devoted decades of his life to inspiring those who wished to dedicate their lives to public service…. David’s vision of public service became the heart and soul of CPL and created pathways to leadership for over 1,000 CPL alumni.” –Center for Public Leadership statement
“As a star pundit on CNN, he created the impression he was this guru, a political fix-it man and a wise man in the tradition of Dean Acheson and George Kennan. He had such a genial nature that there’d always be a lightbulb going off in the White House and someone saying, ‘Why don’t we bring Gergen in?’ Gergen’s significance was to calm the waters and offer a press perspective that could be adopted by presidents who often disdained the press. He was a stabilizing force that you need sometimes when you’re creating a team.” –Douglas Brinkley, presidential historian
“He could draw on history and apply it to current circumstances…. Gergen set the standard for punditry for several decades.” –Larry Sabato, founder and director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics
“To say that I rely on him is an understatement. He’s the best conceptualizer, in terms of communications strategy, that we have.” –James A. Baker III, Ronald Reagan’s White House chief of staff (to The Washington Post in 1981)
“We at the Kennedy School count David among our greatest leaders: a man of courage and commitment who inspired generations of students to go out and change the world for the better.” –Jeremy Weinstein, dean of the Kennedy School
Personal Values Exercise
Complete this exercise to identify your personal values. It will help you develop self-awareness, including clarity about what’s most important to you in life and work, and serve as a safe harbor for you to return to when things are tough.
“It was his vision of public service that drove the creation of CPL and programs that have created pathways to leadership for over 1,000 students. CPL will continue to live into David’s legacy of mentorship as we enable and empower future generations of leaders. A prolific writer, deep thinker, effective communicator, and astute political advisor, for all his incredible political achievements, David’s deepest legacy is not in speeches written or policy victories won, but in people: the people David loved, mentored, and supported, the hearts he touched with fire.” –Anthony Foxx, Center for Public Leadership co-director
“David devoted decades of his life to serving those who sought to serve—mentoring, teaching, and befriending students and faculty alike. David was a principled leader of unmatched character, integrity, and kindness, who chose to see goodness in every person he met.” –Hannah Riley Bowles, former Center for Public Leadership co-director
“Not only have this center and the Kennedy School lost an advocate and an architect, but the nation has lost a sterling example of effective, principled public leadership.” –Deval Patrick, former Massachusetts governor and CPL co-director
“He had an extraordinary gift for giving advice without appearing to do so, framing issues in ways that crystallized the consequences of various actions. After speaking with him, you knew what to do, and often, how to do it very well.” –Lawrence Bacow, former president of Harvard University
(David Gergen was) “an amazing listener with a generous spirit, a love of history, astonishing experience and a deep commitment to democracy and public service. It is no wonder that he was perhaps the keenest observer of politics of his generation, and a trusted advisor to students, presidents, colleagues, and even deans.” –David Ellwood, former Dean, Harvard Kennedy School
Conclusion
In times of chaos and uncertainty, when disruption and division threaten our institutions and public trust, David Gergen’s legacy reminds us that integrity and civility are necessities, not luxuries. Today’s leaders face a relentless, menacing storm of technological upheaval, economic volatility, and social fragmentation, along with a dangerous strain of political polarization. In the face of such threats, Gergen showed that what endures is not bravado or bluster, but humility, integrity, and a steadfast commitment to serving others, ideally in both public and private life.
David also emphasized that effective leadership starts within. Self-awareness is essential—not just knowing your strengths and core values but also being aware of your blind spots and derailers. Without that inner clarity, leaders risk being swept up in ego and pride, reactivity, dysfunction, failure, or even scandal.
David Gergen called us to higher leadership: to leading not just with competence, but with character and conscience. Not just with ambition, but with authenticity, humanity, and solidarity. It’s the kind of leadership—the David Gergen way—we need now more than ever. The kind that’s worth following.
Personal Reflection
Thanks to my friend and co-author, Christopher Gergen (David’s son), I got to know David a little bit over the years. A true pleasure and privilege for me. It was a real joy to host David and Christopher in Vail for a father-son talk on leadership and life entrepreneurship—and then to see them continue to collaborate as father and son just as I have with my father and co-author, Bob Vanourek.
David also helped Christopher and me mightily with our book, LIFE Entrepreneurs, generously providing invaluable advice and input. I’ve long admired his character, wisdom, writing, and contributions.
May his memory and example continue to be a blessing to all of us. And may we strive to live up to the standards he set and honor the commitments he dedicated so much of his remarkable life to.
“Death is not the end. In the end… love is the victor…
Existence has greater depths of beauty, mystery, and benediction than the wildest visionary ever dared to dream.”
-Frederick Buechner
Tools for You
- Leadership Derailers Assessment to help you identify what’s inhibiting your leadership effectiveness
- Personal Values Exercise to help you determine and clarify what’s most important to you
- Traps Test (Common Traps of Living) to help you identify what’s inhibiting your happiness and quality of life
Leadership Derailers Assessment
Take this assessment to identify what’s inhibiting your leadership effectiveness. It will help you develop self-awareness and identify ways to improve your leadership.
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Gregg Vanourek is a writer, teacher, and TEDx speaker on leadership and personal development. He is co-author of three books, including Triple Crown Leadership: Building Excellent, Ethical, and Enduring Organizations (a winner of the International Book Awards written with his father, Bob Vanourek) and LIFE Entrepreneurs (a manifesto for living with purpose and passion). Check out his Leadership Derailers Assessment or join his rapidly growing community. If you found value in this, please forward it to a friend. Every little bit helps!
