The Chinese tactician Sun Tzu wrote in his famous Art of War that a general who advances without coveting fame and retreats without fearing disgrace is the “jewel” of the kingdom.
Are there any candidates for jewels of the kingdom today?
U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell speaks at a news conference in Washington, DC, on May 4, 2022. (JIM WATSON/Getty Images)
Let’s start with Jerome Powell. The Federal Reserve chairman has mounted a number of advances since being elevated to his seat by Donald Trump, but it’s not clear that he has done so without coveting fame. For one thing, Powell launched the practice of having an hour-long press conference starring himself after every meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee. He also abandoned the practice of predecessors Ben Bernanke and Janet Yellen of conducting meetings with the press sitting down, literally changing the stance of monetary policy by standing behind a podium, much like the president of the United…
