Theory of Political Leadership
UNU/ILA
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Leadership: a Generic Concept
• Importance: In society and group activities
we seek to avoid chaos and to feel a sense of belonging and purpose • Leadership emerges in the process of learning to relate to one another • These individuals are more involved, have certain values, have vision, and initiate change
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Evolving Definition
• Our definition of leadership changes as we
• • • •
perceive and construct reality in new ways Ancient societies: leaders = heroes, prophets, philosophers Middle Ages: popes and kings Machiavelli: clever and amoral “princes” Early modern: rational-bureaucratic and authoritarian models of leaders
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Contemporary View
• New leadership resulting from complex
economic and social changes, globalization, and democratization • Leaders are judged on their effectiveness, style, service, cultural-sensitivity, adaptivecapacity, ethics, wisdom, participation, personal judgement
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Current Scholars
• • • • • • •
Burns Heifetz Bass Kellerman O’Toole Hollander Nanus Wren Rost Ciulla Greenleaf Gardner Fiedler
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Types of Leadership
• • • • •
Religious Political Corporate Societal Knowledge-based
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Political Leadership
• “Distribution of values and resources of a
political society” • Conceptual development:
• • • • •
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Authority Power Influence Participation and Democracy Ethics and Wisdom
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Evolution of Political Leadership
• Authority:
• Exclusive; closed system; eliminate autonomous and independent
sources of leadership • Rational-legal framework described by Max Weber
• Power
• • • •
Behavioral and mobilizational construct Ambition theory: high motivation for domination Channel for social mobility and economic transformation Lasswell’s Political man, Politics, and Personality
• Influence
• Interpersonal relations and communications • Leadership-followership relationship • Exchange, motivation, rewards, ideological inspiration, moral
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authority, charisma
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Evolution, cont.
• Participation: Democratic leadership
• Interactive process • Involves individuals, groups, parties within
societies
• Ethics and Wisdom: Future Political
Leadership • Emphasis on leaders, constituencies, local,
state, national, and international
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Knowledge-based Leadership
• “leaders to create new contexts, which
• • • •
breakdown organizational boundaries and encourage a variety of cognitive styles” Democratic and communitarian Strategic planning, information management Change mindsets and methods Create large, wide, deep, fast networks
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Summary
• Leaders are needed to create and manage
change in the 21st century • More eclectic approach necessary incorporating political, corporate and social leadership • Need for new styles in the face of rapid social and economic changes resulting from globalization and new technologies
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