TheCUBE has hosted thousands of technology executives, IT practitioners and gurus over the past five years, but rarely does a guest have the kind of big picture perspective of Dr. Robert M. Gates. As the 22^nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011, he oversaw the world’s largest organization. He guided the transformation of the Central Intelligence Agency’s purpose and priorities during the collapse of the former Soviet Union. Gates has also served as president of Texas A&M University and played a role in the administrations of eight U.S. presidents. His fourth and most recent book is “A Passion for Leadership: Lessons on Change and Reform from Fifty Years of Public Service.”

Here are some lightly edited comments Gates made during a wide-ranging discussion with Wikibon co-founder David Vellante at the recent ServiceNow Knowledge 2016 conference.

On leadership

“There are certain aspects of leadership that cannot be taught: empathy for others, character, honor, courage, sincerity, a liking for people, a vision. You may not be born with them, but I believe they can’t be taught in a university.”

“Any time anybody in an organization tells me he’s got everything under control I am automatically skeptical.”

On cyber security

“I think it should be a regular part of every board’s agenda. There’s no question in my mind that cyberattacks are at the same level as natural disasters.”

On the current U.S. Presidential campaign

“There is no real discussion of specific challenges that we face. Foreign policy is being discussed in almost primitive terms, and not very intelligently, in my view. In terms of the extraordinary challenges the country faces, the campaign seems to be pretty superficial.”

On focus

“Sometimes you’re faced with a crisis situation but you also have to make 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. My focus was entirely on how to turn those two engagements around…It was only when President Obama asked me to stay on that I broadened the aperture to include how the Department of Defense is managed, how we wring overhead out of our costs and how we reposition.”

On the limitations of data on decision-making

“Data provides information about capability, but it cannot help you when it comes to intentions. Will the Soviets invade Czechoslovakia or Afghanistan? Is China prepared to go to war over the South China Sea? When it comes to figuring out what leaders will do –even our own leaders – there is no data that can help solve that problem.”

On term limits for executives

“Broad rules are a mistake. There are people who have been leading institutions for 20 years who are still the most restless, innovative and entrepreneurial people in the company, even at 75 or 80 years old. To have a general rule that says everybody has to leave at a particular time is a serious mistake.”

On building well-rounded executives

“I used to tell rising military officers that they would not be competitive for senior command if all they had had ever done was artillery or flying helicopters. Having exposure to the other parts of the organization is valuable. By the same token, it doesn’t make sense to take someone with a technical specialty – like a CFO – and put him in charge of the production line.”

On humor

“A sense of humor reflects balance and a perspective on the world that is healthy. The two presidents that had no discernible sense of humor, in my opinion, were Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter. I leave people to draw their own conclusions.”

On the goal of his latest book

“One the most important messages I wanted to convey was that institutions can be reformed. They can be transformed and made more efficient, more cost-effective and more user-friendly. That can happen even when people throw up their hands and say it’s impossible. It’s not impossible.”