David Gergen, director of the Center for Public Leadership at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, was an adviser to four US presidents: Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton. He is editor-at-large at U.S. ews & World Report and a political analyst. Gergen, whose center helps develop future leaders, talked to Boston Globe staff reporter Diane E. Lewis about leadership.

BG: What are the three most important qualities a leader must have in a global economy?

DG: The qualities are the same regardless of the nature of competition. They boil down to this: judgment, character, and a capacity to inspire others.

BG: Whose leadership style resonates more in 2004—Teresa Heinz Kerry or Laura Bush?

DG: Laura Bush resonates more fully with voters because she does not exercise leadership. She is a woman of enormous dignity and grace. People, many in the South, think of her as a nice antidote to the aggressive feminism they associate with Hillary Clinton.

I like strong women, and I really enjoy Teresa. She speaks her mind, but that does not play well in rural America or some exurbs. Over time, the Teresa and Hillary model will be more accepted. But it is still an uphill issue.

BG: Who is the most respected woman in the United States today and why?

DG: Laura Bush is certainly the most popular. She is at the top. Hillary Clinton is in the top 10, but not number one. She is immensely popular in the state of New York, and many corporate leaders like her.

But her national reputation is still as first lady Hillary Clinton, and that has not caught up with the reality of how she carries out her duties in the Senate. For all our commitment to equal opportunity for women, our performance still falls far short of our rhetoric.

BG: Given that, will this country have an African-American male president before a female president?

DG: It is possible. Democrats are wondering how they can accelerate [US Senate hopeful] Barack Obama. People all over the country are talking about this fellow. He is regarded as having a certain moral stature, having paid the price he has paid. Many women have that, but they face a double bind: If they appear too aggressive, they are witches. If not enough, they are too weak.

BG: What plans do you have for the Center for Public Leadership?

DG: We want to build upon and strengthen our capacity to develop leaders. We work with women who are poised to make a breakthrough, and it is like a booster rocket for their careers. I would like to build a leadership program for minorities.

We need to address those who belong to groups that are often in the shadows. As a white male, I have been at the table for a long time. Now it is time to create new seats. It does not mean that white males must leave the table. It means that we will share power.

BG: What will be your message at the Women in Leadership Summit in November?

DG: That women have demonstrated that they make great leaders, and it is time for the country to advance them to positions of leadership. We had the year of the woman, but that was not enough. We had the decade of the woman, and that was not enough. We now need the century of the woman.

BG: Where will you be on election night?

DG: Probably in the Boston area. I may be in Washington. I probably will be doing some television commentary that night, but I will be staying up like everybody else.

© Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.