Join us for a virtual conversation with Susan Eisenhower, who describes in How Ike Led the ways in which her grandfather, President Dwight Eisenhower, led America through a transformational time using strategic, principled leadership.
Few people have made major decisions as momentous or varied as Eisenhower did. From D-Day to Little Rock, from the Korean War to Cold War crises, from the Red Scare to the Missile Gap controversies, Ike relied on a core set of principles to give our country 8 years of peace and prosperity. These were informed by his heritage and upbringing, as well as his strong character and personal discipline. But he also avoided making himself the center of things. He was a man of judgment, and steadying force. He sought national unity by pursuing a course he called the "Middle Way" that tried to make winners on both sides of any issue. And he was a strategic leader who relied on a rigorous pursuit of the facts for decision-making. His talent for envisioning a whole, especially in the context of the long game, and his ability to see causes and various consequences, explain his successes both as Allied commander and as president. And after making a decision, he made himself accountable for it, recognizing that personal responsibility is the bedrock of sound principles and is sorely missed whenever leaders lack it.
MLF Organizer
George Hammond
Notes
MLF: Humanities
This is an online-only program; pre-register to receive a link to the live-stream
This is a free event, but we welcome donations made during registration to support the production of our online programming
Copies of Susan Eisenhower’s book How Ike Led: The Principles Behind Eisenhower’s Biggest Decisions are available for purchase during online registration for U.S. domestic orders only; they will be shipped to the address provided at checkout
Part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation
The leading national forum open to all for the impartial discussion of public issues important to the membership, community and nation. The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. Each year, we bring nearly 500 events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy to more than 25,000 members and the public, both in-person and via an extensive online and on-air listenership and viewership.
San Francisco Headquarters
110 The Embarcadero
San Francisco, CA 94105
415-597-6705