How does Kissinger explain why some leaders are successful or not?

Henry Kissinger, a distinguished political historian as well as a former policymaker, urges in his book Diplomacy that power, principle, and analytical thinking are the bedrock of successful foreign policy leadership throughout history. He specifically disparages contemporary political leaders ‘who measure their success by the reaction of the television evening news’, which make them prisoners of ‘the purely tactical, focusing on short-term objectives and immediate results. Charisma is a concept often associated with successful leadership. Long associated with early Christendom, the concept derives from the Greek word ‘gift’. Christ, Muhammad, and other early religious leaders were described as ‘charismatic’ because of their exceptional leadership qualities. That notion was eventually secularized and used to describe political and business leaders. Today, charisma is generally regarded as an attribute to leadership often accorded them by others, not something that inheres in the personal, psychological makeup. “Whereas an emphasis on the fantastic and mystical was appropriate for the church, the shift to secular charismatic leadership revolutionized the perception of author figures.’ Now, ‘the mark of a good politician became his or her unwillingness to accept the status quo, and promises to change the system.’

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