Value strength of character over brainpower in public leadership, former presidential advisor David Gergen urged a 550-member audience at the Institute of Politics (IOP) ARCO Forum last night.

Described by IOP Director David Pryor as "a man with an incomparable life experience," Gergen, currently a professor of public service and co-director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Kennedy School of Government, has served as advisor to four presidents.

Gergen is also the author of the recent New York Times bestseller Eyewitness to Power. The models of leadership in his book were the focus of last night's speech, entitled "The Essence of Power: From Nixon to Clinton."

"I wrote this book in the conviction that we could very well be at the dawn of a new golden age, with the power to bring enormous good into the world," Gergen told his audience.

Ultimately, the country's success or failure depends on the leadership of individuals, he said.

He also stressed that even the most talented leaders can be unsuccessful due to character flaws.

Gergen drew a parallel between Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton, who he described as two of the "smartest men" he had known in public life, and who were both destroyed by "demons within their own character."

He cautioned students not to forget that potential and capability are useless to a public leader without honesty and integrity.