Srinagar, July 30 -- Every society, at some point, experiences moments when the path forward is shaped less by ambition than by the need to restore balance. In such moments, progress is not best understood through speed or scale. It is better understood through the gradual return of stability in everyday life, through the strengthening of routines, and through the easing of uncertainty. The essential question is not how quickly change can occur, but how steadily life can regain a sense of reliability.

In Leadership: Six Studies in World Strategy, Henry Kissinger reflects on Konrad Adenauer through what he describes as the strategy of humility. This idea does not suggest limitation. Rather, it reflects a careful awareness of circumstances...