#truth lies and leadership

Book #104 of 2018:

A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership by James Comey

Former FBI Director Jim Comey is a polarizing public figure, and it’s nearly impossible for a contemporary reader to set aside their preconceptions of him in reading this book. (He’s also a fellow graduate of my alma mater and someone with whom I have mutual acquaintances, and although we’ve never met personally ourselves, these connections do further shade my objectivity.)

Nevertheless, the author acquits himself well in laying out the conflicted thought process behind some of his more controversial actions during the 2016 presidential election and its aftermath. We may still find some of his decisions to be obtuse, but overall his reasoning seems clear, defensible, and non-partisan. And while his insights into the personal character of Donald Trump – or lack thereof – are not quite revelatory, they still represent an important perspective of someone who has interacted with him closely.

If you take Comey at his word, this book is intended less as a personal critique of President Trump and more as a handbook of lessons the Director has learned for leading with integrity. Drawing on his personal experience serving under three presidents and beyond, Comey has a lot to say on loyalty to an ideal larger than one person or political party. It’s sometimes hard to see that in neutral terms, or to trust that this author is being truly neutral himself, but it’s still a valuable lesson for our current political moment.

★★★★☆