Doris Kearns Goodwin MasterClass Review 2025: Hype or Worth it?

Are you also deeply interested in American history or want to learn about the leadership quality of the most excellent leaders of the past? You are considering buying Doris Kearns Goodwin MasterClass and don’t know whether it’s worth your money.

If so, you are not alone, as someone with a deep interest in American history. I have read countless books and watched various videos related to American history. Recently, while watching a YouTube video about American history, I discovered Doris Kearns Goodwin.

After researching further, I found that she has launched her course on the masterclass that teaches leadership skills from U.S. presidential history.

Since I already have a masterclass subscription, I decided to enroll in this course to see how valuable it is and what it offers to the learner. Most importantly, I wanted to determine whether this course is worth considering.

In this post, I have shared my complete and honest Doris Kearns Goodwin MasterClass reviews and everything you need to know, from the topic it covers to the things it lacks. Here is the complete preview of what it covers in this post

• About the instructor: Doris Kearns Goodwin
• Overview of the Doris Kearns Goodwin Masterclass 
• What does the Doris Kearns Goodwin cover?
• Who Should Consider Doris Kearns Goodwin Masterclass??
• What can be improved in Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Masterclass?
• Doris Kearns Goodwin Masterclass: Pros and Cons
• How much does Doris Kearns Goodwin Masterclass  Cost?
• Is it worth buying the Doris Kearns Goodwin Masterclass?

So, without any further delay, let’s jump right and explore everything about Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Masterclass.

Doris Kearns Goodwin MasterClass Review

About the instructor: Doris Kearns Goodwin

Doris Kearns Goodwin is a renowned American historian, biographer, political commentator, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author known for her biographies of US presidents. Some big names include Abraham Lincoln, Lyndon B Johnson, and many more.

Additionally, she is also a frequent commentator who appears on various TV channels and has worked as a consultant for various historical documentaries.

Furthermore, What makes God special is how she tells the story. She does not just list the facts. Instead, she makes historical figures feel like real people you want to know. Most importantly, her research method is exceptional, and she spent years studying before writing any book.

• Pulitzer Prize for “No Ordinary Time”
• Multiple bestselling books on presidents
• Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient
• Frequent TV commentator on history and politics
• Former Harvard professor
• Worked in Lyndon Johnson’s White House
• Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

The another thing that helped Goodwin to get immense popularity is that her work has also been adapted to provide the screenplay for the Spielberg 2012 film Lincoln.

Overall, she is the perfect person for someone who can guide you about presidential history and teach you leadership and team-building lessons that you can apply to your business or your career.

Overview of the Doris Kearns Goodwin Masterclass 

Doris Kearns Goodwin Teaches US Presidential History and Leadership is an online course hosted on the masterclass, a platform known for offering people an opportunity to learn from top experts in their respective fields at an affordable price.

In this masterclass, Goodwin shared more than 50 years of research and knowledge he had gathered about the great American presidents. With the help of this masterclass, she will teach you leadership through the lens of US presidential history and will help you learn the various leadership concepts.

Furthermore, this course also covers the timeless histories of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, and LBJ; most notably, she has shared practical wisdom and a template for honing leadership.

Some of these things include managing crises, crafting a message, and guiding a team like the extraordinary leaders of the past; here is the complete list of the topics covered in this masterclass.

1. Introduction
2. How People Become Great Leaders
3. More Important Than IQ: Emotional Intelligence
4. Successfully Leading a Team
5. Forging Key Partnerships
6. The Importance of Relaxing and Recharging
7. Making Informed Decisions
8. Navigating Crises
9. Delivering Your Message
10. Finding Your Voice
11. Writing History
12. Profiles in Leadership
13. Civic Leadership: Get Involved
14. Legacy: The Power of Storytelling
15. Bonus: Advice for Future Presidents

Each of the lessons will teach you the specific concepts of leadership and building a team, and these are the techniques that have already been used by past successful leaders and a great president; it simply means that these concepts are practical, proven, and implementable.

What does the Doris Kearns Goodwin cover?

Doris Kearns Goodwin Masterclass consists of 15 video lessons, with a duration of between 5 to 15 minutes, With a total duration of 2 hours and 56 minutes. It consists of various concepts around leadership from the history of us presidents and leaders.

Additionally, this masterclass covers the 20-page workbook and community hub support, which will help you interact with the other learners in the same course and discuss your ideas and concepts.

In this section, I have broken down each chapter of this masterclass to give you a complete idea of what you can expect from this course.

Introduction

This masterclass begins with the introduction, where Kearns Goodwin Shares how the Privileged feel when it comes to sharing more than 50 years of research with exceptional storytelling; here is the list of things that have been covered in the intro part

• Her love for the US presidential history and its appreciation for the relevance
• A sense of the idea of what makes a leader successful
• What is the list of things you will learn in this masterclass?
• How does a successful leader deal with failure, self-doubt, and negative thoughts?

She reminds us that we live in a stormy time but mentions that previous eras have also been turbulent. She shared the various examples of how the great presidents have gotten rid of and faced the challenges that come their way.

Lastly, she shared some of her childhood stories and experiences about history and how they changed her approach to history.

How People Become Great Leaders

Leadership is not easy to define, as it turns out, and in this chapter, Kearns Goodwin shared 50 years of research on the great president and the leaders who have made a huge contribution to the country and society.

She defines leadership as the ability to use talent, skills, and emotional intelligence to mobilize people for a common purpose and, most importantly, make a positive difference in people’s lives; here is the list of things that have been covered in this chapter.

• What are the fundamental skills you need to be a good leader?
• Are great leaders born or made?
• How does a leader take risks for a greater purpose?

In addition to that, she also walks you through the early lives of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, and LBJ and teaches you whether these leaders are born or made and why great leaders have ambition for something bigger than themselves and some of the common qualities that she has observed in great leaders include

• Humility
• Empathy
• Resilience
• Self-awareness
• Self-reflection
• Ability to create a team where people can question and argue with your assumptions.

She mentioned that some people are born with leadership abilities; for example, Lincoln was born with an unusual degree of empathy, while Teddy Roosevelt was born with an insatiable curiosity. He would remember everything he’d read.

On the other hand, FDR was born with an optimistic temperament, which was very important for leadership. Lastly, LBJ had almost unbounded energy and a ridiculous amount of power.

In essence, this lesson will give you clear ideas and qualities to become a great leader who inspires a team and positively impacts people’s lives.

More Important Than IQ: Emotional Intelligence

This chapter covers one of the crucial aspects of leadership: emotional intelligence; here in this lesson, Kearns Goodwin shares that emotional intelligence is the ability to be self-reflective, be self-disciplined, and listen to others.

Most importantly, reading people’s feelings and opinions helps you interact well with them. Besides that, having humility is another crucial aspect of emotional intelligence.

Instead of believing in external factors when things don’t go as planned, reflecting upon your effort and understanding the areas of improvement is vital, making you a good leader.

To sum up, this lesson teaches you the importance of emotional intelligence, humility, and resilience and why these are the critical factors for personal growth and becoming an effective leader. These qualities help individuals navigate life challenges, learn from the experience, and become better people.

Successfully Leading a Team

Creating and successfully leading a team are two different things, both challenging tasks. As in the previous chapter, you have seen the qualities you need to create a successful team.

In this chapter, Kearns Goodwin Discusses the building blocks of a leading team, which include honest communication, sharing credit, building trust, allowing for failure, and paying attention to the needs of individual team members; some of the lessons covered in this chapter include

• What is the importance of collaboration with other team members?
• How do you collaborate with other people?
• How do we treat other people with respect and dignity?
• How do we learn from other people’s experiences?

Beyond that, She shows you how to provide constructive feedback helpfully to people so they don’t feel discouraged or demotivated. Most importantly, you should encourage your team members To share ideas and argue with you if you are doing something wrong.

Lastly, this chapter covers the importance of learning from other people’s mistakes as it will help you to grow, work together respectfully, and support each other to achieve the common goal of any organization.

Lesson 5-7: Forging Key Partnerships, Relaxing and Recharging, Making Informed Decisions

This section combines three chapters where Kearns Goodwin shares the various concepts around making an informed decision and other important concepts.

This lesson covers the importance of self-awareness and recognizing your weaknesses; she teaches you how you can identify your weaknesses and bring in team members who have the strengths that complement your weaknesses, as it will balance the whole team and fill in the gap in experience or the skill that you require in your organization or a business.

Beyond that, he also shared the example of Abraham Lincoln, who included his rivals in his cabinet because they had more experience and represented different viewpoints. This diverse team helped him to make better decisions during a critical time; some of the other lessons covered in the chapters include

• How do you surround yourself with the people who will challenge your assumptions?
• How do you understand your personal limitations?
• What is the importance of relaxation and replenishment?

She shares the example of Lincoln’s Personal Limitation: he was too forgiving, so he realized someone more challenging to balance him out. Similarly, lincoln watched theatre to relieve stress, and Teddy Roosevelt exercised and hiked to find relaxation and maintain effectiveness.

She teaches you the importance of humor and storytelling and how Lincoln used humor and storytelling to lighten up the mood and manage stress.

In essence, this chapter will teach you the essential skills you need as a leader to collaborate with other people, manage your stress, and use humor and storytelling to explain your perspective.

Lesson 8 & 9 : Navigating Crises & Delivering Your Message

This section combines the two lessons where the instructor, Goodwin, shared how you can navigate through a crisis, and to explain this concept, she shared various examples of great leaders who handled crises.

She shared that the most important thing at the beginning of Christ Management is to gather information about what’s happening and to decide whether or not you should be intervening at that point. You do not need to let the situation go a little further before you decide to fix it.

Besides that, you need to understand that both sides in the struggle are feeling, which means not just information but talking to the people and understanding what they are feeling and then beginning to educate people’s sentiments because of the end crisis that occurs in the government or the team will depend on how people themselves feel.

Here is the list of the concepts that you will learn from the chapters, which includes

• How do we collect information to understand the situation?
• How do we understand both sides of the parties and understand their feeling?
• How to navigate through a crisis and handle it?
• How do you effectively deliver your message?
• How does your message affect people’s mindsets?

She teaches about delivering your message and mentions that it’s not simply the words that matter. Its wonderful words come down over time; she has explained the concept of delivering your message using the various historical examples of great presidents and leaders, giving you a clear idea of how to deliver your message effectively.

What I liked about this chapter is that Kearns Goodwin explained every concept using the storytelling technique, which has helped me understand every vital concept discussed in this chapter and what it takes to become a great leader who inspires people.

Lessons 10 & 11 Finding Your Voice & Writing History

There is no doubt that good communication skills are one of the essential elements or qualities of any successful leader, and in this chapter is about communication skills and how to find your voice.

In this chapter, through the lens of Teddy Roosevelt’s speech and FDR’s first speech and firefight chat, here are the things that you will learn from these chapters

• How to speak directly and simple to mobilize action?
• How can you use honesty to set the tone for the change?
• How to adapt their messages to the issues?

Beyond that, she also highlighted the importance of public service. She showed you how many great leaders have chosen public service over personal gain despite challenges like fundraising and privacy concerns.

Furthermore, this lesson also covers the value of understanding history and how this historical event can help you to be a good quality leader; in the writing history part, he also highlighted the drama and the personal experience of the people involved in the historical event.

Lastly, she shared her experience that writing requires using primary sources to create a fresh perspective, and he showed you how to find such sources and add them to your stories and writing.

Lessons 12 & 13: Building Civic Leadership

In this chapter, Kearns Goodwin shared the story of George Washington and how he combined humility with confidence, which is an essential trait for any leader; beyond that, she also mentioned that George felt nervous and certain when first becoming president.

However, he relied on his integrity and firmness of character, and he understood the importance of his action in setting the predence for the new country.

From this lesson, I like the critical aspect of effective leadership demonstrated by George Washington and Eleanor Roosevelt, who highlighted the importance of humility, confidence, setting standards, active engagement, and advocacy for equality.

Here are some of the other lessons that have been covered in this chapter include

• How do you take responsibility for the media you consume in today’s climate?
• How do you be aware of your perspective and curious about the perspective of others?
• How can we prioritize what a candidate has already done rather than what they promised to do when voting?

Lastly, she has also given various great and practical advice for those wanting to run for office, and once again, he draws on what students have done to prepare themselves.

Lessons 14 & 15: Building Legacy and Storytelling

In this chapter, Doris reinforces the importance of sharing stories to seek connection and build legacies. She also offers various messages of inspiration and hope.

In this lesson, he conveys about building a lasting legacy: making a meaningful contribution that impacts others in your professional and professional life. She also highlighted the importance of leadership, which makes a difference in society and offers a solace perspective during difficult times.

She shared that the life stories of impactful historical leaders can inspire and educate future generations. This chapter also emphasizes the personal aspect of legacy, where love and relationships with family and friends play a significant role.

In the other section, this chapter teaches about the power of storytelling and how historical narrative can provide guidance, inspiration, and a sense of continuity for those aspiring to leadership roles in the presidency.

Lastly, she teaches that an individual can find mentors and role models by studying past persons who Faced similar challenges, as it will help you to get valuable insight and practical tips.

Who Should Consider Doris Kearns Goodwin Masterclass?

After completing this masterclass and watching each of the video lessons from my experience, here is the list of people considering investing their hard-earned money in this masterclass.

History Lovers: If you are a person who loves and enjoys learning about the past, especially American history and how it has evolved, then this course is perfect for you. Goodwin has various fascinating stories of great leaders and presidents here that will help you learn about the different events and keep you hooked until the end.

Aspiring leaders: No matter whether you are a small team at your work or aiming for the top position, this course will give you the various concepts around building the team, motivating the team, building a relationship with them, and most importantly, using the power of storytelling to convey your messages this course has a lot to offer for an aspiring leader who wants to become good at leading people.

Students: If you are a student who is studying history, political science, or leadership, then this course will give you various practical insights into how great leader uses their techniques to influence people and make a contribution to society, which has created a lasting legacy and people remember them till today.

Most importantly, it’s worth noting that you don’t need to be an expert in history to enjoy this course. Goodwin has explained every concept using her storytelling technique, which has made this course even more interactive and easy to understand for the learner if you don’t know much about the American president or history.

What did I like about Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Masterclass?

Overall, my experience with this course is excellent. The insight and the concepts covered in this masterclass are proven and unique from most of the leadership techniques out there that you mostly hear online on the Internet.

The best part about this masterclass is Doris storytelling technique, which has made this masterclass even more interactive and engaging for the learners; here, I have mentioned a list of things I particularly liked about this course that you can consider.

Excellent delivery and engaging lessons

I enrolled in this course just out of curiosity to learn more about American history. Still, it was a great experience, especially how he explained American presidential history, combined with her personal touch and storytelling.

In addition, the example and the case studies she has discussed in this particular course have made this course even more engaging and interesting for the learner Who wants to know more about American history.

Practical leadership lessons

As the course title says, Doris teaches you about leadership lessons from U.S. presidential leaders, and this master class is packed with various practical leadership lessons around building a team, motivating the people delivering your messages, and navigating through crises.

Most importantly, learning to build relationships with people and influence them; what I liked about this masterclass is that Doris has put emphasis on and highlighted the importance of contributing to society instead of focusing on personal gains.

High-quality production with supporting images

As you know, most of the courses in the masterclass are of high quality, and these courses are well produced to give you the cinematic experience that you enjoy the course till the end and also grab the understanding of the specific concept.

This course is no longer an exception. This course is also well produced and adds various supporting images of ancient history that give you a clear idea of what instructor Doris teaches about presidential history and the leaders.

An active community hub and helpful workbook

There are more than 180 courses in the masterclass, but not all courses provide you with active community support. Fortunately, you will get community support from this masterclass, where you can interact with the other learners who have enrolled in this course and discuss ideas with each other to grasp the concept better.

Moreover, as mentioned above, these masterclass also contain an additional workbook, which is helpful. This workbook contains practical tips recommending readings and links to the primary sources for further learning.

Lastly, this workbook has also summarised the leadership qualities and the strategies explained in this masterclass, which will help you to develop and use this strategy for yourself.

What can be improved in Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Masterclass?

There is no question that this masterclass is worth it. It offers various valuable ideas and concepts related to leadership and becoming a successful leader who motivates people and contributes to society.

Still, some improvements can be made to this masterclass to make it even more valuable for the Learner and give them an exceptional experience. Below, I have added some points from my experience completing this course.

The length of the masterclass is short

As of now, I have completed more than 100 plus courses in the masterclass, and from my experience, this class is one of the shortest classes on the platform.

Adding a few more concepts around building teams and improving management can make this master class even more beneficial for the learners and help them grasp the various concepts they can implement in their business or organization.

Lack of Practical Exercises

Another demerit of this masterclass is that they have not added practical exercises that a learner can use to implement what they have learned from the masterclass.

From my experience, adding a few more exercises that apply the concept can make this course even more interactive for the learner, and they can retain the information and knowledge shared in this course for a long time.

Doris Kearns Goodwin Masterclass: Pros and Cons

Pros and cons are the vital elements that any individual should consider before investing any money in buying a subscription to any platform or buying a single course because it will give you an idea of what makes the scores different from the other and what this course lacks.

Here, I have shared the proofs and cons of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s masterclass that you can consider before deciding to buy this course.

Pros of Doris Kearns Goodwin  Masterclass 

• Credibility of the instructor who has done 50 years of research.
• Excellent delivery and engaging storytelling.
• High production with supporting images.
• Various practical insights about leadership.
• Proven and tested ideas that work in real-time

Cons of Doris Kearns Goodwin Masterclass 

• The masterclass is shorter than other courses.
• Less practical exercises become challenging when implementing the learning.
• Baised mostly towards Lincoln as compared to other leaders

How much does Doris Kearns Goodwin Masterclass  Cost?

As mentioned above, this course is hosted in the masterclass, so to get access to this, you need to buy a subscription to the masterclass. Here are three subscription options that you can choose from based on your needs and preferences.

• Standard Plan: $120 Per Year ( Access to 1 Device and No offline Mode)
• Plus: $180 Per year (access to 2 Devices and Offline Mode)
• Premium: $240 Per Year (access to 6 Devices and Offline mode)

Each of the plans has its specifications. To get more idea about the pricing of the masterclass, you can check out the complete guide on the masterclass review.

Is it worth buying the Doris Kearns Goodwin Masterclass?

In my experience of completing the scores and watching all the video lessons, I will say that Doris Kearns Masterclass is worth it, especially if you are interested in learning about American history or the lessons from successful leaders from the past.

As the instructor, Doris has more than 50 years of research in this masterclass, Which teaches you the various concepts of leadership that you can implement in your business or organization.

This course is worth considering because she has been in this field for a decade. She draws from her acclaimed career as a White House fellow to the Harvard Lecturer in Government as a historian and nonfiction author.

Moreover, her unique storytelling approach towards history connects us to the president in an understandable manner that inspires us not only to know about the historical concept but also to apply it practically in life.

However, another good thing about Masterclass is that a subscription to this platform will unlock not only this course but more than 180 courses that you can access anytime you want ads for your convenience.

Best to pair with: President Bill Clinton MasterClass Review & Hillary Clinton MasterClass Review.

Conclusion

It is my honest review of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Masterclass Review. I have shared everything this course teaches you about leadership, from the US presidential history, from fundamental qualities to the leaders to storytelling and humor to convey your message and, most importantly, contributing to the country and society.

Now, you have the information of everything in this masterclass for making an informed decision. Still, from my experience, this course is worth considering for those who want to learn about American history and the leadership qualities of the great leaders of the past.

Ultimately, it depends upon an individual’s goal and budget, but if you still have an inquiry or question regarding the Doris Kearns Goodwin Masterclass Review, please let me know in the comments section. I will be happy to assist with your query.