The reason I made women's issues central to American foreign policy, was not because I was a feminist, but because we know that societies are more stable if women are politically and economically empowered.

The magic of America is that we're a free and open society with a mixed population. Part of our security is our freedom.

One of the things I write about a bit in my Madam Secretary memoir is on Rwanda, where I was an instructed ambassador at the U.N., and my instructions were to not vote for increased forces there, and I didn't like my instructions. So I got up and called Washington and said, "Change my instructions," and they didn't.

I can't imagine what it is like to be raised in a society where their only statues that exist are to you and your father.

Leaders are made by the situations they are involved in. I think that some rise to the occasion and some do not.

I loved being Secretary of State, that's probably evident to everyone who watched me.

As a leader, you have to have the ability to assimilate new information and understand that there might be a different view.