Joseph Lelyveld, a former executive editor and foreign correspondent for The New York Times, who won the 1986 Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction for his book, Move Your Shadow: South Africa, Black and White, died on Jan. 5 at his home in Manhattan. He was 86.

Mr. Lelyveld was one of the most respected journalists in America for nearly four decades, a globe-trotting adventurer, who reported from Washington, Congo, India, Hong Kong, Johannesburg and London, winning acclaim for his prolific and perceptive articles.

At home, he rose up through The Times’s editorial staff to become its executive editor, arguably the most powerful post in American journalism. In his seven years at the helm, from 1994 to 2001, The Times expanded its national and international readerships, introduced color photographs to the front page, created new sections, and ushered in the digital age with a website and round-the-clock news operations.

In addition to the Pulitzer Prize, Mr. Lelyveld won awards from the Overseas Press Club, the Sidney Hillman Foundation, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and two George Polk Memorial Awards from Long Island University.