Online Event: How Ike Led: A Conversation with Susan Eisenhower

Few figures have led the nation through more momentous events than Dwight D. Eisenhower. From D-Day to Little Rock, from the Korean War to Cold War crises, from the Red Scare to the Missile Gap controversies, Ike developed strategies, unified diverse coalitions, and organized massive organizations for success. He inspired with a steady hand, avoided bombast, focused on the long game, and believed in the importance of translating big ideas into concrete actions. 

How and why did Eisenhower succeed as a leader? What principles did Ike adhere to, and where did they come from?  What lessons does his approach offer us today as we confront an era of new national security threats, technological innovation, and domestic unrest?

In anticipation of the September inauguration of the Eisenhower Memorial in Washington, DC, the Project on History and Strategy is honored to be joined by Susan Eisenhower, whose book about her grandfather, How Ike Led, tells the story of how his character, upbringing, and judgment enabled him to think strategically, inspire action, and take full responsibility through a lifetime of national service.

Susan Eisenhower is President of the Eisenhower Group Inc, which provides strategic counsel on political, business, and public affairs projects. The company, which was founded in 1986, works by referral only. For almost thirty-five years, the company’s team has consulted for Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies doing business in the emerging markets of Russia, Central Asia, and China—on topics as wide ranging as consumer products to international aerospace cooperation. Since 2004, Susan Eisenhower’s primary focus has been at the intersection of major global developments and strategic communications, especially with respect to energy. She has also served on many government commissions and advisory councils. 

Eisenhower has written and lectured extensively on strategic leadership and she leads a year-long seminar at Gettysburg College called, “Strategy and Leadership in Transformational Times.” She has appeared on all the major television and radio outlets and has contributed to a range of publications as diverse as the Washington Post and The LA Times to the Naval Institute’s Proceedings and the National Academy of Sciences’ Issues in Science and Technology. On the topic of strategic leadership, her fifth trade press book, How Ike Led: The Principles Behind Eisenhower’s Biggest Decisions, was published in August 2020 by St. Martin’s Press/MacMillan.

This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.