This week at KnowlegeNow 2016, Dave Vellante (@dvellante), cohost of theCUBE, from the SiliconANGLE Media team, had the distinct honor of interviewing Dr. Robert Gates, an American statesman, scholar, and the 22nd U.S. Secretary of Defense, who was at the event to talk about leadership and offer advice based on his current book, A Passion for Leadership: Lessons on Change and Reform from Fifty Years of Public Service.

This is a must watch interview for all people who are in or striving to attain a leadership position. The topics covered range from the need for a sense of humor to the skills necessary to deploy 30,000 troops to Iraq. Gates draws upon his experiences and provides insightful information to the enterprise about how companies can transform even when they think it is impossible, as well as why leaders can’t rely on data for everything.

Is a leader born or made?

Vellante started the interview by asking Gates if leaders are born or made. Gates explained how it’s a bit of both.

“I think that they are not necessarily born, but there are certain aspects of leadership I think cannot be taught. If you have empathy with other people, character and honor, courage, the sincerity of liking people, of vision, I think these are things that are very personal. You’re not necessarily born with them, but they developed during the course of your life. But I also believe that they can’t be taught in a university.”

Information gathering

Having done the research for the two books he authored himself — Vellante pointed out that there have been no claims of inaccuracy — Gates shared his information-gathering techniques.

“Well, one of the benefits of the IT revolution is access to a lot of databases and things that even non-technical person like me can use.

“I would say that book probably took about 18 months, two years. The previous book, Duty, my memoir of my time as secretary of defense under Presidents Bush and Obama took longer, but it’s got a lot more factual information and a lot more synthesis of information, and this [Gates’ latest book] really was more kind of all out of my head in terms of my experiences over 50 years in public service.”

Undercover leadership skills

Gates talked about his years of service with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and as Secretary of Defense. He explained how it is necessary to focus on long-term and short-term management.

“As I write in the book, sometimes you’re faced with a situation where you need to make immediate changes and take immediate steps to deal with a crisis situation that’s in front of you, but sometimes, simultaneously, you have to be making decisions about the long-term future.

“When I became secretary of defense we were, for all practical purposes, losing two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. So my focus entirely as secretary of defense was on how do we turn those wars around. The president had made what I thought was a very courageous decision, to surge troops into Iraq.  How do I get them there? The decision is one thing, getting 30,000 troops there, with their equipment, getting them into the fight and providing the most support was quite another

“And then we had the war in Afghanistan. There was a singular focus there, and as I write in the book it was only when President Obama asked me to stay on that I then broadened the aperture dramatically in terms of how do we change the way the Department of Defense gets managed.”

Data can’t tell you everything

When asked how data has changed the decision-making process in government at that level, Gates illustrated his point that data cannot solve the challenges of the known and unknown.

“I think when it comes to intelligence, data provides you more information about capability. But Big Data and technology still cannot help you when it comes to intentions. I always like to say that in the intelligence world, all the information we want to know can be divided into two categories, secrets and mysteries. And, unfortunately, the mysteries are the big things.

“Will the Soviets invade Czechoslovakia? Will they invade Afghanistan? … There is no data that can help you answer those questions. The data can help you identify the capabilities they can bring to the problem, but in essence when it comes to figuring out what other leaders will do, sometimes figuring out what our own leaders will do there is no data that can help you solve that problem.”

Gates’ messages for board leaders

Gates responded to a series of questions regarding corporate boards and topics from placing term limits on executives to cybersecurity. Here are a few of his thoughts:

Regarding term limits:

“I think these broad rules are a mistake. … You have leaders that have been leading institutions, whether it’s a university or a company for 20 years, and they are still the most restless, the most innovative, the most entrepreneurial people in the company — even at 75 or 80 years old. So to have some kind of general rule that says everybody has to leave, I think is a serious mistake.”

Regarding cybersecurity:

“I think cyber and the risks associated with cyber and IT need to be a regular part of every board’s agenda. … I think there is value in having an integral part of risk management (as part of the board discussion). … There is no question in my mind when it comes to risk, for most companies today, cyber is right up there with natural disasters and business continuity, and there needs to be responsibility in terms of oversight of a board.”

The art of it’s not impossible

Gates wrapped up the interview explaining the goal of writing his new book.

“One of the most important messages I wanted to convey [in the book] was that institutions can be reformed. They can be transformed and made more efficient, more cost effective and more user friendly, and better serve both customers and citizens at a time when most people just rub their hands and say this is all impossible.”

Do not miss this interview! Watch it in its entirety below.

Photo by SiliconANGLE