In conversation with Tracey Matisak

Robert Gates served as Secretary of Defense under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, an experience recounted in his no. 1 New York Times bestselling memoir Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War. He began his career in public service as a U.S. Air Force Officer and then worked as a CIA analyst, rising to become director of the agency. In addition to being named one of TIME magazine’s most influential people and one of America’s Best Leaders by U.S. News & World Report, he is the recipient of numerous awards, including the National Security Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In his new book, Gates draws upon decades of experience to map transformative solutions for some of America’s largest public and private institutions.