The Hardest Job in the World: What it Takes to Be a Presidential Leader
Based on his latest New York Times bestseller The Hardest Job in the World: The American Presidency, legendary political analyst JOHN DICKERSON delves into the qualities needed to be a successful president, leaders who embodied those attributes, and offers impactful takeaways for how anyone who seeks to lead can develop the necessary skills and resiliency.
Washington’s Inner Workings
Political analyst, Senior National Correspondent for CBS, and New York Times bestseller author JOHN DICKERSON is a veteran journalist and trusted voice to interpret current events. Dickerson is an in-demand speaker for his insights about the day-to-day operations in politics, the role of journalism in an increasingly partisan culture, and Washington’s inner workings and what they mean for the U.S. and the world.
John Dickerson: A Skilled Interviewer and Moderator for Your Next Event
A veteran journalist and Senior National Correspondent for CBS, JOHN DICKERSON has interviewed the U.S. presidents since the 39th, President Jimmy Carter, as well as countless politicians, world leaders, and icons, including: Tim Cook, Glenda Jackson, Isabel Wilkerson, Carlo Rovelli, H.R. McMaster, Dave Matthews, and many others. Dickerson asks powerful questions and skillfully moderates memorable conversations.
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NYT bestselling author John Dickerson is an expert on the qualities of the American presidency, The Hardest Job in the World
Trusted political analyst and author JOHN DICKERSON has been covering and studying the presidency for over a decade, and is an expert in the attributes that make someone successful at what his New York Times bestselling book calls The Hardest Job in the World: The American Presidency. A veteran journalist, he has covered the inner workings of Washington for TIME, Slate, and currently serves as Chief Political Analyst for CBS News and contributes to CBS Sunday Morning as well as The Atlantic. Dickerson is a trusted voice for interpreting current events, and offers insider insights about the day-to-day workings of politics with humor and hard-won historical perspective. Beyond his award-winning reporting, he delves into the past and present of the American presidency – the individuals who’ve held the office, and what qualities and attributes set them up for success.
In his New York Times bestselling books, as well as the podcasts he hosts - Slate’s Political Gabfest and Whistlestop – Dickerson outlines the skills, routines, and stress management techniques some of our most-studied leaders used to take on the presidency. He writes about his own process working with accountability for The Atlantic, asks powerful questions about ambition, and how we find meaning and cultivate resiliency in our personal lives and work when faced with overwhelming adversity. In sought-after keynotes and commencement addresses, Dickerson shares his skilled analysis of the process of politics, the role of journalism, and practical takeaways for developing our own leadership potential.
Expanding beyond his role as host of CBS Primetime with John Dickerson, political analyst JOHN DICKERSON is now co-hosting CBS Evening News, one of America’s longest-running newscasts. As New York Times bestselling author of Whistlestop: My Favorite Stories from Presidential Campaign History and The Hardest Job in the World: The American Presidency, Dickerson is uniquely primed to comment on upcoming election news. With unparalleled experience in political commentary and an expertise in the American presidency, Dickerson’s live presentations unite audiences even in the most divided of times through clear-eyed and optimism.
Watch John Dickerson at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics >>
John Dickerson is anchor of The CBS Daily Report, CBS News Chief Political Analyst, Senior National Correspondent, and CBS SUNDAY MORNING Contributor. His third book, and second New York Times Best-Seller The Hardest Job in the World: The American Presidency was published June 2020.
In August 2024, it was announced Dickerson would become an anchor of the CBS Evening News in 2025.
Dickerson is also a contributing writer to The Atlantic and co-host of Slate’s Political Gabfest podcast and host of the Whistlestop podcast on presidential history. An album of personal essays collected in the Navel Gazing podcast were published in April 2024. A second season is scheduled for early 2025.
Dickerson joined CBS News in April 2009, as an analyst and contributor. For six years, he served as the Network’s political director. He was moderator of FACE THE NATION from June 2015 to January 2018 and Chief Washington Correspondent. During the 2016 presidential campaign he moderated CBS News’ two presidential debates. From January 2018 until May 2019 he was co-host of CBS THIS MORNING. In 2019 and 2020, Dickerson was a correspondent for 60 MINUTES while serving as the network’s lead political analyst.
In addition to his political work, Dickerson has interviewed a wide range of subjects including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Stephen Colbert, actors Glenda Jackson and Christian Bale, authors Colson Whitehead and Tara Westover and musicians John Prine, Jon Batiste, Jason Isbell, and Dave Matthews. You can also find all of Dickerson's 19 appearances on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert here.
Dickerson started his career with TIME magazine, covering economics, Congress, and the presidency. In the last four years of his twelve at the magazine, he was its White House correspondent. From 2005 to 2015, he was Slate Magazine’s chief political correspondent. He has covered every presidential campaign since 1992.
A native Washingtonian, Dickerson graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor’s degree in English and a specialty in American Studies. His mother, Nancy Dickerson, was CBS News’ first female correspondent. Dickerson is the author of On Her Trail (Simon and Schuster), a book about his mother. He is also the author of the New York Times bestseller Whistlestop: My Favorite Stories from Presidential Campaign History (Twelve Books).
He is the recipient of the Ford Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency and the David Broder Award for political reporting.
He is on the board of Covenant House International. Dickerson resides in New York City with his family.
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