Howard Gardner

Time for substance

If anything, the Obama presidency has been so focused on symbolic conduct that sometimes symbols have become, or seemed to become, a substitute for policy.

By Howard Gardner | November 23, 2009; 02:03 PM ET | Comments (0)

Tall order for media and business

Public confidence in media and business leaders will not rise unless they individually and collectively do a lot of self-examination and then self-improvement.

By Howard Gardner | November 2, 2009; 01:50 PM ET | Comments (0)

Does hero = leader?

I am not sure people think of "Sully" as a leader, as much as they think of him as a "hero," but in U.S. politics, heroes often called upon to be political leaders.

By Howard Gardner | October 19, 2009; 02:39 PM ET | Comments (1)

Nominee: Social Entrepreneurs

A Nobel Prize for Leadership, in my view, would be awarded to those who bring about change for the good of humanity -- today, that means social entrepreneurs.

By Howard Gardner | October 13, 2009; 02:00 PM ET | Comments (0)

Pocketing the Blackberry

If a meeting is merited, it should demand the complete attention of all present.

By Howard Gardner | October 6, 2009; 06:44 AM ET | Comments (3)

Malignant Megalomaniac

As a personality, Ahmedinejad should be completely ignored.

By Howard Gardner | September 29, 2009; 05:40 AM ET | Comments (9)

Boldly Reconsidering

Obama could do the nation, indeed the world, a favor if he could convert such a major change in course into a learning experience.

By Howard Gardner | September 22, 2009; 05:58 AM ET | Comments (1)

Still Time for Mea Culpas

Personally I am dubious that Wall Street will heal itself, but the culture may change if top leaders take responsibility for the crisis.

By Howard Gardner | September 14, 2009; 01:01 PM ET | Comments (1)

Giant in Training

There are now few if any giants in American politics, but I am not alone in believing Barack Obama has the potential for giant-dom.

By Howard Gardner | August 31, 2009; 12:57 PM ET | Comments (0)

The Playboy, the Leader

A playboy, a womanizer, a child of "royalty" -- yet Ted Kennedy still grew and developed as a leader.

By Howard Gardner | August 27, 2009; 11:15 AM ET | Comments (0)

Reduce Our Commitment

President Obama made a huge mistake in taking on Afghanistan as "his" war.

By Howard Gardner | August 24, 2009; 12:13 PM ET | Comments (0)

'Rahm-ing' It Through

President Obama can resort to a Machiavellian '"stick" approach or he can attempt to educate or inspire the country to a different model of how to do business.

By Howard Gardner | August 18, 2009; 12:44 PM ET | Comments (1)

Find Your Philosophy

Put forth your own philosophy of recreation-and-renewal, apply it to the specific situation at hand, and remain as consistent as you can throughout the term of your leadership.

By Howard Gardner | August 10, 2009; 11:26 AM ET | Comments (1)

Pres. Obama did not want to revisit the Gates-Crowley affair after his "stupidly" remark at the press conference. It was Michelle Obama and, I would guess, Valerie Jarrett who said to him, in effect, "You made this worse, now make it better."

By Howard Gardner | August 3, 2009; 12:53 PM ET | Comments (11)

The Unbottled Genie

If there were illegalities or gross improprieties carried out by the CIA, with explicit White House approval, the current administration has no choice but to allow an investigation to go forward. Otherwise, the current administration becomes party to a cover-up.

By Howard Gardner | July 13, 2009; 01:20 PM ET | Comments (2)

Palin Wins With Authenticity

No matter that she does not know the facts, no matter that she isn't qualified to govern -- she looks the part and she calls it as she sees it.

By Howard Gardner | July 7, 2009; 01:19 PM ET | Comments (0)

Getting Away With It

If your wandering eye is well known, and you don't make a big deal about family values, then you can get away with escapades.

By Howard Gardner | June 29, 2009; 04:34 PM ET | Comments (1)

Regrettable But Acceptable

Though regrettable, Steve Jobs' silence about his recent illnesses is not a venal violation of the principles of leadership.

By Howard Gardner | June 22, 2009; 10:38 AM ET | Comments (0)

Making a Virtue of Necessity

It is telling that the personal histories prove more salient in the case of women and minorities than in the case of white males, where it should be equally relevant.

By Howard Gardner | June 8, 2009; 10:29 AM ET | Comments (1)

Don't Count Years

Length of time is not the issue; appropriateness for the position and the capacity to change and grow are the crucial factors in deciding when a leader should leave.

By Howard Gardner | May 26, 2009; 04:36 PM ET | Comments (0)

Don't Be Too Cautious

This is the appointment of yours that is likely to have the longest term impact, so please be sure to select someone who is young, healthy, of steady and sound temperament.

By Howard Gardner | May 18, 2009; 03:59 PM ET | Comments (0)

Hardly Helpful

I find it hard to believe that any knowledgeable person, of any political persuasion, would approve of the way that former Vice President Cheney has conducted himself in recent months.

By Howard Gardner | May 11, 2009; 04:01 PM ET | Comments (1)

Explain Precautions

When confronting any threat -- terrorism, stock-market swings, swine flu -- public officials should not only make sound recommendations but explain the reasoning behind them, so we can make our own decisions.

By Howard Gardner | April 27, 2009; 11:12 AM ET | Comments (0)

Best Learn by Observing

Unless one believes that some of us are born leaders, while others could never become leaders, the answer to the question is obvious: "Leadership can and should be taught."

By Howard Gardner | April 20, 2009; 11:34 AM ET | Comments (2)

Rebuilding the American Image

President Obama is making it possible to have better, saner relations, and for that the whole world owes him a very big thank you.

By Howard Gardner | April 6, 2009; 06:49 PM ET | Comments (0)

Ungraceful Wagoner

If Wagoner had any grace, he would have resigned months or even years ago. But so many of current leaders-- political as well as business-- live in bubbles removed from reality.

By Howard Gardner | March 30, 2009; 05:43 PM ET | Comments (2)

Walking the Minefield

Leadership is often about making mistakes -- and learning from them.

By Howard Gardner | March 22, 2009; 09:30 PM ET | Comments (0)

Earn Less, That Others May Work

Leaders in public institutions don't need to take a vow of poverty. But earning more than two or three times as much as the U.S. president is hardly a vow of poverty.

By Howard Gardner | March 15, 2009; 08:55 PM ET | Comments (0)

Barbarians at the University Gate

Wall Street recruiters look for students clever enough to earn profits at almost any price. Whether this aggressive profile relates to gender, testosterone, ambition, identification with the barbarians at the gates, or lack of ethical fiber, I will leave for others to decide.

By Howard Gardner | March 9, 2009; 03:34 AM ET | Comments (0)

Hold the Details

The president is most effective when he lays out general principles and places specific plans and priorities within them. Too many details at this point are likely to cause disengagement on the part of the public and quibbling on the part of the Beltway partisans.

By Howard Gardner | March 2, 2009; 10:46 AM ET | Comments (0)

Be Ready to Quit

Assuming that you have any choice in the matter, you should never accept a position unless you are clear in your own mind under what conditions you will resign that position. Otherwise, you are sacrificing your own judgment and are simply an automaton in someone else's enterprise.

By Howard Gardner | February 23, 2009; 10:50 AM ET | Comments (0)

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