David Gergen: How Great Leaders Navigate Turbulent Times

As our nation careens from one crisis to the next, there is a growing cry for fresh leadership. Those in charge have repeatedly fallen short, and trust in institutions has plummeted. So, what does great leadership look like? And how are great leaders made? In his new book Hearts Touched by Fire: How Great Leaders are Made, David Gergen offers a playbook for the next generation of change-makers. By linking lessons of the past with the ever-changing practice of leadership today, Gergen reveals the time-tested secrets of dynamic leadership.

Join us for a conversation with David Gergen, professor of public service and founding director of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School, and Mia Mends, CEO of Impact Ventures, Sodexo North America & Global Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer, to understand how great leaders are made and the fundamental elements of effective leadership.

David Gergen is a professor of public service and founding director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, positions he has held for over a decade. In addition, he serves as a senior political analyst for CNN and works actively with a rising generation of new leaders. In the past, he has served as a White House adviser to four U.S. presidents of both parties: Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton. Twice he has been a member of election coverage teams that won Peabody awards, and he has contributed to two Emmy award-winning political analysis teams. Professor Gergen's work as director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Kennedy School has enabled him to work closely with a rising generation of younger leaders, especially social entrepreneurs, military veterans and Young Global Leaders chosen by the World Economic Forum. Professor Gergen is a member of the D.C. Bar, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a member of the U.S. executive committee for the Trilateral Commission. He is an honors graduate of Yale and the Harvard Law School. He has been awarded 27 honorary degrees.

Mia Mends is a global executive with over 20 years of experience in P&L, Transformation, Operations and varied executive leadership roles in multi-national organizations. As CEO, Impact Ventures, she oversees SodexoMAGIC, a joint venture between Sodexo and Magic Johnson Enterprises. She also oversees CSR and Stop Hunger for North America. As Sodexo's Global Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer, she is responsible for leveraging Diversity & Inclusion as a key business differentiator. Operating in 64 countries, Sodexo’s 420,000 employees serve 100 million consumers each day through On-site Services, Benefits & Rewards Services, & Personal and Home Services. Ms. Mends has founded her own non-profit, Seven Sisters to Sisters, and serves on the boards of Girls Inc., the EMERGE Fellows program, Catalyst and the Greater Houston Partnership. She also sits on the Harvard Business School African American Alumni Board. She is a corporate director for H&R Block and Limeade. Ms. Mends was recognized in BLACK ENTERPRISE'S Most Powerful Women in Corporate America feature. She holds a BA in economics from Wellesley College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.