Thomas E. Cronin, Michael A. Genovese [2016]

Leadership Matters:
Unleashing the Power of Paradox.

Quote:"Leadership, like life, is too complex for simplistic answers. Leadership and life are complex, contradictory, paradoxical. That is why life -and leadership- are about balance and flexibility, not absolutes and rigidity." [p.3 / pos.173] 

Abstract: In Leadership Matters (first published in 2012) Thomas E. Cronin and Michael A. Genovese, both political scientists and renown experts in the field of leadership, write about the paradoxes of leadership.

Key-Words: leadership - paradoxes of leadership - leadership as performing art

Definition of Leadership: "Leadership is about making things happen that otherwise might not happen. It is a process of getting people to work together to achieve mutually shared aspirations. Leadership invariably involves an infusion of vision, purpose, and energy into an enterprise. It entails mobilizing both people and resources in order to achieve results." [pos.83]

The above definition can be labeled as situational, intentional, procedural and relational.

Key-Concepts:

• the paradoxes of leadership

According to the authors leaders deal with "a collage of conflicting expectations, dilemmas, and necessities", just like "We both admire and fear power. We admire and fear leaders (...) We want leaders who are like us yet better than us. (...)" [pos.145/p.1] and the best leaders are able to deal with these contradictions, even if this means choosing the lesser evil or violating the moral code and they have to be able not only to lead but to follow and accept that their followers might sometimes function as leaders and cope with different or changing context at the same time. 

In so far leadership is in and of itself  a paradox and it demands from its best protagonists understanding and managing of such paradoxes. "Leaders embrace paradoxes and learn to reconcile them when they can, yet coexist with them when they cannot. The best of leaders learn to exploit paradoxes, transcend either/or choices, and, where possible, unlock the power and advantages of paradox."[pos.7450/p.322]

• leadership as performing art

The authors argue that leadership is more an art than a science, that it is therefore really difficult to measure the special relationship between leader and followers, but that leadership though hugely individual, always comes with a price for both leader and followers.
Part of the art of leadership is not only stagecraft, convincing, inspiring and persuading but also (and probably more importantly so) listening - effectively and openly. 
The upside of describing leadership as an art form is that the skills can be learned. But leadership demands community and at least basic shared values therefore sustaining community and upholding said common values is part of the leadership-deal. Leadership depends on pragmatic compromise, collaboration and empathy for others.

Critique: 


Despite its title "Leadership Matters" the authors remind us that "leadership is not the be-all and end-all", that it is only "part of the puzzle" [pos.820/p.30] yet they make a convincing case for the importance of leadership by presenting a lot of historic examples and current and historical scholarly wisdom.

First Sentence: "Of course, life would be easier if leadership was just a list of simple rules, but paradoxes are inherent in the trade. (Former GE chairman Jack Welch)" [pos.127]  

Last Sentence: "As emphasized, leaders find it useful to view paradoxes in a dialectical manner, in which a thesis often gets matched in creative ways by an antithesis, and these seeming opposites call on the leader for a reframing synthesis. Ideal leaders are integrative and synthesizing thinkers; they can think fast, slow and smartly as they reliantly adapt to opportunities, paradoxes, and the luck that confront every venture." [pos. 7449 / p.322]

Language: english - needs time to read

Assessment: influential model of leadership - useful für scholars as well as coaches

Link to Author's Sites: 
Thomas e. Cronin:
https://www.coloradocollege.edu/academics/dept/politicalscience/people/profile.html?person=cronin_thomas_e 
and
Michael A. Genovese:
http://bellarmine.lmu.edu/politicalscience/faculty/michaelgenovese/
Video of the two authors:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbCvJCubQ58


*: The book, originally published in 2012, has been republished in 2016, the quotes have been taken from the kindle edition by Routledge 2016.

Daniel Goleman [2013*]

Primal Leadership
Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence.

Quote: "Gifted leadership occurs where heart and head - feeling and thought - meet." [pos. 566] "A leader who misreads people, on the other hand simply can't inspire them." [pos.1067] "The reason a leader's manner - not just what he does, but how he does it - matters so much lies in the design of the human brain." [pos.248] "No leader is perfect, nor does he need to be. Our idealizations of leaders can lead us to set unreasonable standards, wanting them to be paragons of every virtue." [pos.1396]

Abstract: In Primal Leadership (first published in 2002) psychologist and author of Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman writes, in collaboration with Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee, about the role of emotional intelligence in leadership.  He and his co-authors propose a concept of so-called primal leadership - leadership based on creating resonance. Supported by recent brain studies, the authors argue that emotionally intelligent leaders are more successful, more efficient than leaders who avoid emotions.

Key-Words: leadership - emotional intelligence - resonant leadership - EI-competencies - leadership styles

Definition of Leadership: relational - not exclusive i.e. you find leaders on every Level and everyone is or at least can be a leader - leaders can be made and leadership can be learned

Key-Concepts:

• emotional intelligence and the 4 domains of EI-competencies

The authors of Primal Leadership  argue, that "great leadership works through the emotions" [pos.203], therefore emotional intelligence does not only matter, but is actually decisive for successful leadership: "If leaders fail in this primal task of driving emotions in the right direction, nothing they do will work as well as it could or should." [pos.205]

The design of the human brain, especially the open-loop nature of the limbic system, seems responsible, since it forces us to "rely on connections with other people for (..) emotional stability" [pos.250], that's why emotions spread inevitably. Good moods are more contagious than bad ones, but bad moods can get disruptive, they raise stress and stress, triggers survival reactions (flight, fight or freeze) which counter-acts emotional intelligence as well as cognitive abilities. Good moods on the other hand can be described as a positive climate that allows for peak performance.

The four intertwined domains of emotional intelligence are: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management.

They are based on eighteen EI-competencies, such as emotional self-awareness, accurate self-assessment, self-confidence, emotional self-control, transparency, adaptability, achievement, initiative, optimism, empathy, organizational awareness, service, inspirational leadership, influence, developing others, change catalyst, conflict management, teamwork and collaboration, which "are not innate talents, but learned abilities." [pos.715]

"Emotional intelligent leaders build resonance by turning into people's feelings - their own and others' - and guiding them in the right direction." [pos.563]

• resonant leadership -

If leaders drive emotions positively, the result is resonance, if negatively, it is dissonance. "The more resonant people are with each other, the less static are their interactions; resonance minimizes the noise in the system," [pos. 465], the more resonant, the more they feel in synch.

But "leaders cannot effectively manage emotions in anyone else without first handling their own." [pos.858] They have to lead by skillfully choosing between six different leadership-styles, the visionary, coaching, affiliative, democratic, pacesetting and commanding style. The styles demand different EI-competencies, "having a larger repertoire of emotional intelligence strengths can make a leader more effective because it means that the leader is flexible enough to handle the wide-ranging demands of running an organization." [pos.1432]

A flexible leader adapts to the emotional climate, the cultural norms and the situative necessities through not only choosing and changing but also successfully combining the various styles.

• primal leadership -

"This (primordial) emotional task of the leader is primal - that is, first - in two senses: it is both the original and the most important act of leadership" [pos.229] and it is the leader who has "maximal power to sway everyone's emotions" [pos.236], because (s)he is the one who is most closely watched.

Leaders are the most important agents of change, but "leaders who wish to instill widespread change need to first recognize that they are working against a paradox: Organisations thrive on routine and the status quo" [pos.3527], therefore leaders themselves need courage, stamina and commitment. They have to communicate the change and they have to respect - even if they want to change them in the long term -  existing cultural norms.

Sustainable change is gained through leadership development processes. It has to focus on emotional and intellectual learning.

Understanding primal leadership and leadership processes seems even more important today - in a time of transformational change and ever-accelerating rate of change - than ever: "The old model of leaderhip had a functional focus, one without regard to the emotional or personal dimension; people were seen as interchangeable parts." [pos.3878] Successful leadership in the 21st century has to be resonant, nurturing relationships, strengthening shared values and creating a climate of enthusiasm and flexibility.

• learning leadership - the five discoveries

Leaders can learn to develop the necessary skills, they normally have done so gradually since late childhood, but they literally have to keep learning, because "the higher up the ladder a leader climbs, the less accurate his self-assessment is likely to be" [pos.1527], because of an increasing lack of feedback, which they would need even more the higher their position.

Though they have to do it voluntarily since the improvement of skills based in the limbic areas, depend on motivation, lots of practise and feedback.

Thanks to the brain's lifelong ability to learn it is possible to keep learning i.e. change behaviourial patterns throughout adulthood and not only through adolescence into the early twenties. It's best achieved by self-directed learning through strengthening aspects of who you are or want to be.

Self-directed learning involves the so-called five discoveries that make lasting change feasible: identifying the ideal self, uncovering the real self, targeting and preparing a learning agenda, experimenting and practising new behaviours (striving for mastery), thoughts and feelings and finally developing supportive and trusting relationships.

Mentors and coaches might help, as well as choosing suitable learning methods, e.g. mental rehearsals and accompanying self-improvement by adjusting group-norms and the organization's culture in so far advancing individual and collective emotional intelligence.

"Change begins when emotionally intelligent leaders actively question the emotional reality and the cultural norms underlying the groups daily activities and behaviour" [pos.3082], which requires attunement. However, ideally the people (followers) should be in charge of the change process (bottom-up strategy).

Critique:
Primal leadership, though obviously focused on business leaders and business leadership, gives an insigtful look into the inner, the emotional workings of leadership on the whole, based on recent findings in neuro-science and psychology.

Though it only includes few passages on political leadership (concerning demagogues), you can easily find paralleles between the economic and political spheres and draw conclusions not only for organisational leadership in politics (political parties, cabinets, governments...), which are often very similar to corporations, but also for public leadership.

The many descriptive examples of leadership can get a bit distracting and tiring to read, and therefore maybe seen as a slight weakness of the book. A real strength on the other hand are the proposed methods and specific instruments for individual and organizational improvement, an aspect of the book that will for sure appeal to coaches, consultants, present and prospective mentors and of course current and aspiring leaders.

It is important to keep in mind that Primal Leadership though focused on the role of emotions and emotional intelligence in leadership processes does not argue against intellect and cognitive abilities as part of the leadership-game. it just explains that emotional intelligence works as a prerequisite, you need to manage emotions (constructive as well as desruptive) in order to be able to think: "the best (...) lead not by virtue of power alone, but by excelling in the art of relationship." [pos.3880]

First Sentence: "Great leaders move us. They ignite our passion and inspire the best in us" [pos. 203]

Last Sentence: "Most especially, they (refers to emotional intelligent leaders) exude resonance: They have genuine passion for their mission, and that passion is contagious. Their enthusiasm and excitement spread spontaneously, invigorating those they lead. And resonance is the key to primal leadership." [pos. 3891]

Language: english - needs time to read

Assessment: influential model of leadership - useful für scholars as well as coaches

Link to Author's Site: Daniel Goleman, psychologist:
http://www.danielgoleman.info/ 
- there you can also find a booklist and various videos.

Link to Author's TED-Talk:
http://www.ted.com/talks/daniel_goleman_on_compassion?language=en?utm_source=tedcomshare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=tedspread

*: The book, originally published in 2002, has been republished in 2013, the quotes have been taken from the kindle edition 2013.

Barbara Kellerman [2014]

Hard Times: Leadership in America

Quote: "Leadership is not a profession. Nor is it, or it ought not to be, a stepping stone, to, say, money or power or authority or even influence. Rather it is a mission." [pos. 5016] "The exercise of leadership is not exercise taken alone. It's a team effort that necessarily implies, or it should, the engagement and participation of others." [pos.568]

Abstract: In Hard Times Barbara Kellerman, James Macgregor Burns Lecturer in Public Leadership at Harvard's F. Kennedy School of Government and renown author of various books on leadership, focuses on context. By providing a checklist of "what you need to know about context if you want to lead in the United States of America in the second decade of the  twenty-first century" [pos. 60] she gives a state of the art insight in today's changing challenges of leadership and a profound analysis of the American political system.

Key-Words: leadership - political leadership - 21st century challenges - contextual expertise

Definition of Leadership: systemic - including three equally important, independent and interdependent parts, the leader, the follower and the context

Key-Concepts:

• contexts count

According to Kellerman leadership is a complex system that consists of three independent but interdependent components, the leader, the follower and the context. She describes context as a series of concentric circles: immediate and proximate (inner circles) and the more expansive environment, such as ideological, political, economic, cultural, technological and financial (outer circles).

She argues that in order to lead successfully leaders need not solely concentrate on self-improvement but primarily need contextual expertise and they need such expertise, such understanding before they "can even begin to act" [pos.117]. They need to know since the "crisis of (American) leadership is much less about leaders themselves and much more about the complex context within which they are expected to operate" [pos.120].   

Context is not static, it is always changing. The above argument seems even more important considering the ever more rapid speed of change.

• emboldened followers - weakened leaders

The "rise of leadership as an object of our collective fascination has coincided precisely with the decline of leadership in our collective estimation" [pos.93] .

Kellerman paints 21st century America as a world where the relationship between leaders and followers has undergone a severe shift in power from the erstwhile powerful to the powerless, from leaders to followers.

She describes this ongoing transition as a result of major contextual changes, a changing culture following the technological revolution. "The changing technologies challenge leaders nonstop. In Addition to the size of change is the speed of change." [pos.1930] 24/7 media cycles, empowering social media etc. play a main part, even more so than justified disappointment in bad leaders, in undermining leadership - leaders seem somehow set up to failure.

"Followers are making their lives difficult - and because everywhere context is both a cause and an effect of this power dynamic" [pos.150] leading becomes ever more complicated, ever more difficult. Leaders have become popular targets, watched with suspicion, not trusted, not admired - and that is a worldwide trend. A trend that does not stop at political leaders, it includes all kind of leaders and any manifestation of authority, such as institutions.

Even historically it might have been a lot easier in democracies to bring about change from the bottom up than the top down, effective followership had always been easier than effective leadership.

• 21st century challenges

Though acknowledging an inherent tension between leadership and democracy, made obvious in American culture and constitution, Kellerman states that "leadership (in America) is more difficult to exercise now than it has ever been before" and "changing times, hard times continue to complicate the task." [pos.206] 

In order to help completing this difficult task Kellerman proposes a contextual checklist (24 parts including history, ideology, religion, politics, economics, institutions, organizations, law, business, technology, media, money, innovation, competition, class, culture, divisions, interests, environment, risks, trends, leaders, followers and outsiders) that should ensure a better understanding of context and in so far of leadership and as a result enable effective leadership.

But it is not only ordinary followers that challenge leaders, it's also other leaders, political competitors as well as economic leaders (the moneyed elite), national and global leaders (governmental and non-governmental) that keep pushing. And it is an ever more complex environment, where there are no simple solutions. "No wonder", so Kellerman that "leaders in twenty-first century (America) often feel overwhelmed and undervalued." [pos.4843]

Critique: Hard Times is the latest addition of Kellerman's extensive publications on leadership and in particular political leadership and it surpasses her former work. Though obviously a logical follow-up to The End of Leadership published in 2012, it's Hard Times that really shows the potential of how a modern study of political leadership could look like - knowledgeable, savvy and diligent.

Kellerman succeeds in presenting a thourough theoretical argument but she also shows how to put her theory into practise. Her book is much more a handbook on how to do a study on leadership than a how-to-do-book on leadership itself.

Finally though concentrating on the US-American political system and its so-called leadership crisis it is evidently, even blatantly an informed book about political leadership in the 21st century, about what remains unchanged and what changed, it is about the old and new challenges leaders and followers face as they try to bring about change.
 

First Sentence: "What's been lost in the discussion of leadership - in the infinite number of discussions on leadership - is context." [pos. 54]

Last Sentence: "These (refers to "no American leader can genuinely engage American followers unless he or she exemplifies that which has stood the test of time ... American history ... American ideology ... the best of those who shaped/exemplified it" [pos. 5017]) remain remarkably, gorgeously, unchanged even now." [pos. 5020]

 

Language: english - needs time to read

Assessment: maybe her best, yet
 

Link to Author's Site: Barbara Kellerman, leadership expert and author among others of 
Bad Leadership [2004], Followership [2008], The End of Leadership [2012] and the above reviewed Hard Times [2014] blogs regularly on:
http://barbarakellerman.com/ 
- there you can also find a booklist and recent articles.
Link to video (~10 min):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIo5_eJs5-Y
 

Benjamin R. Barber [2013]

If Mayors Ruled the World. Dysfunctional Nations, Rising Cities

Quote: "With obstreperous nation-states that once rescued democracy from problems of scale now thwarting democracy's globalization, it is time to ask in earnest,´Can cities save the world?` I believe they can." [p.3 / pos. 143]

Abstract: The renown political scientist Benjamin R. Barber (best known for Jihad vs. McWorld, 1995) proposes to implement a global parliament of mayors in order to lead (where nation-states are doomed to fail) and meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Key-Words: mayors as glocal leaders - glocal leadership - parliament of mayors

Definition of Leadership: calls for pragmatic, consensual and progressive leadership - which is only seen globally feasible via so-called glocal leaderhip by a parliament of mayors

Key-Concepts:

• failure of nation-states to lead

One of the strengths of the book is its in-depth analysis of the inherent short-comings of national leadership. Though obviously highly influenced by the current state of high political partisanship, ensuing gridlock and distrust in politics and government within the United States Barber is able to make a convincing case against national leadership on a global scale.

He argues that the very essence of nation-states - common identity, defining borders/territory, sovereignty - hinders them to lead in an interconnected, interdependent world, where it is more important to cooperate than to compete with each other: Nation-states might have been "the perfect political recipe for the liberty and independence of autonomous peoples" (...) but are "utterly unsuited to interdependence" [p.3 / pos.148]: "In the world of independence, sovereignty works; in the world of interdependence, it is dysfunctional." [p.147 / pos.2394]

• cities as democratic strongholds - mayors as successful leaders 

Not only do live more than half of earth's population in cities, Barber also argues that cities are - because of their very nature - destined to lead in a world of interdependence, of interconnectedness: "If we are to be rescued, the city rather than the nation-state must be the agent of change" [p.4  / pos.154], they "have little choice: to survive and flourish they must remain hospitable to pragmatism and problem solving, to creativity and innovation." [p.13 / pos.318]

Cities have to interconnect with their region and with each other, even cross-border in order to function, they have to put politics and ideologies aside, they have to move forward, they have always done so and they will always do and as Barber reminds us strongly "isolation is simply not an urban state of being" [p.113 / pos.1941] and furthermore ancient cities had been the origin of democracy.

Cities are governed by mayors and their leadership-style reflects the nature of cities: on the whole it is pragmatic, less ideologic, consensual, interested in best practices and it is deeply rooted in its constituents - therefore bottom-up and progressive. It is because of this that mayors are ideal global players. The very fact that they are not all powerful but have to make do within sovereign states enables them to find common ground even on the global level by using soft power.

• the idea of glocal leaderhip

"The challenge of democracy in the modern world has been how to join participation, which is local, with power, which is central." [p.5 / pos.173]
The challenges of the 21st century are global, neither security, nor the fight for equality, nor environmental threats or cultural endeavors can be solved nationally.

Cooperation is imperative - globalization is nothing you can avoid, it just is.

But right now it is driven by competitive, by non-democratic (in structure and organisation) though powerful players - like multinational corporations or autonomous states (clearly not all of them democracies) even the various NGOs or traditional international organisations lack democratic legitimity.

It is actually global democratization that's at the core of the proposal of a parliament of mayors  and its goal is a glocal civil society and confederalism: "To say mayors should rule the world is really to say that citizens should rule the world" [p.300 / pos.4879] - allowing for "global relations among citzens and their civic associations that reflect some measure of participation, transparency, accountability and equality." [p.301 / pos.4892]

• the parliament of mayors

Barber has worked out an elaborate plan for implementing the above parliament.

He proposes a World Assembly of Cities, represented by mayors "meeting three times a year in different cities, dedicated to listening and deliberation" [p.349 / pos.5689] and exercising influence solely via "global public opinion and the force of example" [p.350. / pos.5696], maybe accompanied by a second chamber, a parliament of regions, both voluntary and consensual in character.

The parliament of mayors should be limited to 300 cities in any one session, 50 seats should be reserved for megacities (population over 10 million), 125 seats each for cities with a population of over 500.000 and of under 500.000, all cities elected by lot for each session.

The mayors of these cities each will have one vote per city and a second weighted vote according to their population (500.000 people representing 1 demographic vote). They might be advised by 2-3 citizens, also chosen by lot.

The cities itselves should be able to opt-in or if the decision had already been approved in parliament opt-out through referenda, which forces the mayors to find majorities among their citzens and in so doing creates legitimacy.

And finally any decision had to go through 3 readings i.e. any decision must win simple majorities in 3 successive parliaments.

Key-principles: Listening, deliberation, sortition, glocality, voluntary action, leading by example, opt-in and opt-out options and mayors as global trustees.

But cities "will have to do what they do with and not against states, with and not as alternatives to the United Nations, with and not as rivals to NGOs and multinational corporations." [p.358 / pos.5837]

Critique: Barber's If Mayors Ruled the World is a passionate call für glocal leadership as a last resort for rescuing democracy. The author though obviously highly disappointed with the current state of democracy, political leadership and national and international politics sees mayoral leadership i.e. pragmatic leadership that puts ideologies and politics aside as clearly superior and consequently is also highly enthusiastic about the idea of a global parliament of mayors.

He gives a lot of examples, quotes, as well as historical and literary references, which makes for an interesting though not too easy read.

Last but not least he highlights the already ongoing pursuits of mayors and cities to cooperate on a global scale.
 

First Sentence: "In a teeming world of too much difference and too little solidarity, democracy is in deep crisis." [p.3 / pos. 142]

Last Sentence: "Reasons enough - good reasons - why mayors and their fellow citizens can and should rule the world." [p.359 / pos. 5847]

 

Language: english - needs time to read

Assessment: in-depth analysis of mayoral leadership including 11 profiles of mayors - passionate critique of failing national states
 

Link to Author's Site: Benjamin R. Barber, which also includes a video of a talk concerning the above book's topic by the author at TED, Edinburgh, Scotland in March 2013.
http://benjaminbarber.org/
 

Archie Brown [2014]:

The Myth of the Strong Leader. Political Leadership in the Modern Age

Quote: ".., in general huge power amassed by an individual leader paves the way for important errors at best and disaster and massive bloodshed at worst." [pos. 54]

Abstract: Archie Brown, British historian and political scientist, author of "The Gorbatchev Factor" [1996], dispels the myth of the strong leader  as a necessity or even exemplary for successful leadership in his current book of modernday political leadership. He Looks at cases of transformative, inspirational, revolutionary and redefining leadership from all over the world within different regimes.
By analyzing and comparing various examples of democratic, as well as authoritarian and totalitarian political leadership during the 20th and 21st century he makes the case for the advantages of leadership without the proverbial strongman in favour of a more collective and collaborative approach to leadership.  "Good leadership requires many attributes, whose relative importance varies according to time, place and context. It should never be confused with the overmighty power of overweening inidividuals." [pos. 117]

Key-Words: redefining leadership - strongman versus collective, collaborative leadership

Definition of Leadership: leadership as contextual phenomenon, where individual and collective leaders count but are also held legally and politically accountable

Key-Concepts:

• the concept of redefining leadership

"Redefining leadership (...) means stretching the limits of the possible in politics and radically altering the political agenda. " [p. 5 / pos. 197], and "Redefining leaders, whether as individuals or collectively, seek to move the centre in their direction." [p. 5 / pos. 200].
By differentiating between redefining and transformational leadership Brown allows to further analyse the decisive role of leadership concerning change. 

The widely known concept of transformational leadership [James Macgregor Burns], only proposed a category of political leadership that brings about systemic change (almost always to the better), but examples of transformative leaders are rare, even more so in democratic societies to the point that "it is virtually impossible for a modern president to be transformational". [p. 344 / pos. 6730]

By introducing a category of redefining leadership Brown allows for a more pragmatic but non the less important look at how political leadership may produce change even within stable, established democratic political systems. A modern head of state/government might not be able to strive for transformational leadership but now she can certainly try to become a redefining leader instead of just remaining an everyday (and less admired) transactional one.

• the weakness of the strongman as a political leader

Contrary to the "conventional sense" that "strong leaders (...) who get their way, dominate their colleagues, and concentrate decision-making in their hands, are the most successful and admirable" [pos.54] Brown exposes the weakness of such leaders and highlights the very real threat such leaders might imply to the well-being of the political system, the society, the people.

He even demonstrates by various examples throughout the 20th century that this seems valid independent of regime.  

Often collaborative leaders are labeled as weak because of our bias towards ´strong`leadership despite the fact that they actually prove more beneficial to the society. He therefore rejects ´strength`(of a leader) as a meaningful variable to measure political leadership.

Critique: Brown's "The Myth of the Strong Leader" deals with one of the common misconceptions of political leadership. It does not only debunk the myth iself but also tells us what we should be looking for in modern leaders, followers and leadership.

It makes a convincing case for political parties, for institutionalising political power and it reminds us to value certain political process.
 

By proposing redefining leadership as an additional category for political leadership, he enables us to asses leadership in a more pragmatic, realistic way.

And for those of us who are actually in politics, whether as politicians or political advisors he presents us with his redefining leadership with a new model for political leadership we actually might like (and have a better chance) to achieve.

First Sentence: "In democracies there is quite broad agreement that a `strong´ leader is a good thing." [p.1 / pos. 121]

Last Sentence: "Leaders who believe they have a personal right to dominate decision-making in many different areas of policy, and who attempt to exercise such a prerogative, do a disservice both to good governance and to democracy. They deserve not followers, but critics." [p.362 / pos. 7053]

 

Language: english

Assessment: up to date analysis of political leadership
 

Link to Video: Archie Brown on "The End of Communism in Europe and it's Mutation in Asia"
www.youtube.com/Archie Brown on End of Communism
[Blackwell Bookshops, 10-12-2013]

Regina M. Jankowitsch [2013]:

Tretet zurück!: Das Ende der Aussitzer und Sesselkleber

Zitat: "Rücktritt steht für Verantwortung (...). Und Rücktritt steht für Unabhängigkeit. Diesen Werten, Verantwortung und Unabhängigkeit stehen allerdings massive Barrieren gegenüber. Barrieren, die  - individuell und gesellschaftlich - einer besseren Rücktrittskultur im Weg stehen." [S. 14]

Abstract: Analyse der bestehenden und Plädoyer für eine bessere Rücktrittskultur in der Politik im Interesse der Politikerinnen, denn "Wer professionell zurücktritt, gewinnt an persönlicher Reputation - innerhalb und außerhalb der Politik." [S. 15] und der Demokratie, da eine mangelnde Rücktrittskultur, also ein zu später oder gar nicht vollzogener Rücktritt bei "Medienvertretern wie Wählern in Politikverdrossenheit umschlägt." [S. 13] - inklusive einer Anleitung zum professionellen - "freiwillig, rechtzeitig und klar kommuniziert" [S. 16] - Rücktritt.

Schlüssel-Begriffe: Rücktrittskultur - politische Verantwortung - Anleitung zum professionellen Rücktritt

Leadership-Definition: normativ - Political Leader und Followers in die Verantwortung nehmend

Schlüssel-Konzepte:

• 6 individuelle Gründe warum ein professioneller Rücktritt selten ist

Die Autorin nennt eine Reihe von persönlichen Faktoren, die dazu führen, dass Politikerinnen selten ein erfolgreicher, rechtzeitiger Rücktritt gelingt.

Dazu gehören neben dem Lustfaktor, der Droge Politik, der es Politikerinnen schwer macht sich von ihrer Tätigkeit zu verabschieden, auch der Mangel an Plan B und der damit einhergehenden Angst vor Veränderung, oft kombiniert mit einer wirtschaftlichen Abhängigkeit, mit wenig Aussicht auf einen positiven Karrieresprung.

Dazu gehören aber auch die Priorität von Parteiinteressen, die aus Loyalität zur jeweiligen politischen Partei einen rechtzeitigen persönlichen Rücktritt verzögern, die Tatsache, dass das im Zusammenhang mit Rücktritten oft verbundene Zugeben von Fehlern als Schwäche interpretiert und daher vermieden wird und Berater mit Eigeninteressen, die entsprechendes Feedback meiden.

• "Wir alle tragen Mitverantwortung" [S. 30]

Eine Stärke des Buches liegt in der Analyse der gesamtgesellschaftlichen Faktoren unserer mangelnden Rücktrittskultur. Die Autorin nimmt nicht nur die individuellen PolitikerInnen in die Verantwortung, sondern nennt auch strukturelle Mängel wie zum Beispiel Schwächen der parteipolitischen Rekrutierungsmethoden, die ohne charakterliche oder sonstige Befähigungsnachweise passiert und nach wie vor vorhandenes Obrigkeitsdenken der Bevölkerung: "Im Zeitalter der vielzitierten Politik- bzw. Politikerverdrossenheit haben viele mit der Politik abgeschlossen. Sie fühlen sich hilflos gegenüber den Zuständen 'da oben', weil sie meinen sie könnten sowieso nichts ändern. Ihr Protest manifestiert sich im Nichthandeln, im Nicht-einmal-darüber-Reden, im Gleich-beiseite-Schieben oder im Kanal-Umschalten, wenn Politiker am Bildschirm erscheinen. Bei Wahlen drückt sich diese Haltung vor allem durch das Nichtwählen aus." [S. 32]

Neben den auch international zu beobachtenden Phänomen Politikerverdrossenheit und allgemeines Desinteresse nennt die Autorin die historisch begründete Relativierung von Rücktrittsanlässen als eine bedauerliche österreichische Besonderheit: "Der Rechtsbruch oder Regelverstoß avanciert (..) zum Dankeschön für die Protektion." [S. 37] insofern führe "das ständige Streben nach Konsens und Ausgleich" dazu, dass die "Sehnsucht nach Kontrolle und Korrektheit genauso wie nach Wettbewerb und Exzellenz verkümmern" (...) "Mittelmaß, das noch dazu bejubelt wird, ist oft die Folge." [S. 42]

• Anleitung zum professionellen Rücktritt

Drei Punkte sind laut Autorin unabdingbar für einen professionellen Rücktritt: die Freiwilligkeit, die Rechtzeitigkeit und die klare Kommunikation.

Wobei im Zusammenhang mit der Freiwilligkeit auch ausdrücklich unfreiwillig Freiwillige, also durch Umstände notwendig, aber nicht erzwungen Zurücktretende eingeschlossen werden und Rechtzeitigkeit auch im Sinne des richtigen Timing, also unabhängig vom Anlass, genannt wird. Mit Hilfe einer Tabelle [S. 76] werden die verschiedenen Szenarien skizziert und gerade im Punkt klare Kommunikation erfüllt die Autorin ihre eigenen Forderungen und nennt sehr konkret, wie ein solcher Rücktritt kommuniziert werden soll.

• "Was wir tun können" [S. 86]

Erfreulicherweise endet das Buch nicht mit diesem PolitikerInnencoaching sondern mit Überlegungen, wie wir gesamtgesellschaftlich positiv zu einer besseren Rücktrittskultur beitragen können.

Sie nennt auch hier sehr konkret Möglichkeiten Anreize zu schaffen, Kontrolle auszuüben, Regeln zu verschärfen und Erwartungen zu verändern, denn so das Fazit des Buches: "Wir brauchen eine bessere Rücktrittskultur." [S. 106]

 

 

Kritik: Politikcoach und Leadership-Expertin Regina M. Jankowitsch richtet in ihrem kleinen, aber feinen und sorgfältig recherchierten Buch "TRETET ZURÜCK! Das Ende der Aussitzer und Sesselkleber" gezielt den Blick auf einen oft gern übersehenen Aspekt demokratischer Politik, der Notwendigkeit des Rücktritts, des rechtzeitigen und professionellen Rückzugs aus politischen Ämtern und Funktionen.

 

Sprache: deutsch

Einschätzung: Must-Have für angehende und aktive PolitikerInnen

Link zur Homepage: Regina M. Jankowitsch

http://www.jankowitsch.at/index_de_front.html
 

Waller R. Newell [2009]:

The Soul of a Leader. Character, Conviction and Ten Lessons in Political Greatness.

Quote:

„War in particular is a major theme uniting the discussion of all the leaders, for a leader`s ability to weigh the threat of war, the desirability of maintaining peace, and the need to defend one`s country or one`s allies turns out to be among the most important tests of leadership, and the one that calls upon leaders to make the most of their talents, their stamina, their patience, and their ability to inspire others.” [p.26]

“the importance of the rhetoric in a democracy – where public opinion must be won over and shaped – accompanied by the corresponding danger of  demagoguery”

[p. 214]

Abstract:
Political scientist, philosopher, and former member of the Reagan transition team, Waller R. Newell, looks in his book "A Soul of a Leader" for the qualities of a leader by researching "great men (and great villains) in history". 2008, so his claim, shows a generational change in political leadership - time to look back at those leaders (from Franklin Delano Roosevelt to George W. Bush) who are just now replaced by a new generation and to look even further back to Lincoln and even back to the Greek Antique, at Perikles and Thucydides for inspiration. 

Key-Words: 10 secrets of political leadership

Definition of Leadership: Leadership as a constant moral struggle of ambitious men between seeking honour and seeking power.
 

Key-Concepts:

• secrets of political leadership:

1. character trumps brain – or at least formal education
2. inspiring rhetoric is necessary – but only in moderation
3. moral conviction is necessary – but only in moderation
4. a leader embodies the times … “when a leader finds his moment we feel we already know him”
5. a leader must have two or three main goals, and not try to do too much
6. time will run out “mortality is something no focus group or spin doctor can overcome.” [p.323]
7. history will choose its leaders
8. the great leader wants power badly – but not too badly
9. greatness can turn out to be villainy
10. the great leader must be prepared to ignore all of the above

“The only certain thing in life – and therefore in political life – is uncertainty.” [p.325]

• the United States as direct successor of ancient Greek democracy

Both the US and classic Athens as imperial democracies have to answer the following questions:„Does the pursuit of  empire undermine the civic virtues needed for good government at home? Is the use of force against other countries ever morally justified? Is amassing imperial power abroad likely to increase the danger of tyranny at home?” [p.214]

They have to live with the tension between keeping democratic values and staying a dominant international power. They have to fight just wars.

“But it is therefore all the more striking how consistent the dilemmas of statesmanship remain, and the importance of the human factors of character, prudence and resolve in coming to grips with them.” [p.216]

• War as the real touchstone of human greatness

It's times of wars when political leaders are able to show their true colors, either they are going to be great men or great villains, according to Newell each leader has the potential to become a tyrant.

Critique: Newell's historical analysis of the risks and chances concerning political leadership within a superpower disappoints in presenting a new, a fresh view into the "soul of a leader" but it gives an interesting insight into the conservative soul of America.

 

Language: english - easy to read

Assessment: controversial - revisionist (Nixon/Vietnam war)

Link to Author's site: http://www.wrnewell.com/

 

James W. Pennebaker [2011]:

The Secret Life of Pronouns. What Our Words Say about Us 

Quote: "Words, in my world, are a window into the inner workings of people, a fascinating and revealing way to think about language and its links to the world around us all." [p. 17, pos. 367]


Abstract: The renown social psycholgist, James W. Pennebaker, analyzes the use of function words (prounouns, articles and conjunctions) in relation to different personalities, status, power and leadership. "By looking more carefully at the ways people convey their thoughts in language we can begin to get a sense of their personalities, emotions, and connections with others." [p. 3, pos. 133]

Key-Words: personal prononouns, function words, language of status, power and leadership, language style matching

Definition of Leadership: "Attaining a leadership position is different from being an effective leader. (...) An effective leader is someone who works and interacts with others, who makes decisions that others will agree with." [p. 193, pos. 3199]
 

Key-Concepts:

• the language of status, power and leadership

"Human relationships are not rocket science - they are far far more complicated"[p. 43, pos. 840] and status or power can be traced through the use language: "If you don't have power in a situation, it is in your best interests to pay attention to others. But if you are the boss, you should pay close attention to the task at hand." [p. 71, pos. 1279]

People of high status/power speak more loudly, tend to interrupt and seek physical closeness with a more open body orientation. They look at their audience while speaking, but look away while listening.

They tend to use more active language, especially revealing are function words, particularly pronouns: the more dominant people in a situation use ´we`- and´you`- words. "Most people if thrust into a high-status leadership position will likely start to talk like a leader." [p.191, pos. 3159]

• the Meaning Extraction Method

The method looks at the most common, the most frequently used content words within essays or speech and how they are used together, searching for underlying themes via computerized factor analysis.

It allows to find language patterns and furthermore allows to draw conclusions concerning personality/behaviour patterns. 

• the Method of Language Style Matching

The method allows to look at conversations comparing the use of function words by those participating in the conversation and how those participants adjust their language style to each other. It shows the importance of the use of pronouns and the development of identitiy.

Critique: Pennebakers's "The Secret Life of Pronouns" isn't exactly a book about political leadership but it gives us an insight into the use of language and how it relates to personality.

In so far it is an interesting read for students of political leadership.

Language: english

Assessment: recommended complementary reading

Link to Author`s Site: including exercises and lots of videos

http://www.secretlifeofpronouns.com