The Myth of the Strong Leader: Political Leadership in the Modern AgeAll too frequently, leadership is reduced to a simple dichotomy: the strong versus the weak. Yet, there are myriad ways to exercise effective political leadership—as well as different ways to fail. We blame our leaders for economic downfalls and praise them for vital social reforms, but rarely do we question what makes some leaders successful while others falter. In this magisterial and wide-ranging survey of political leadership over the past hundred years, renowned Oxford politics professor Archie Brown challenges the widespread belief that strong leaders – meaning those who dominate their colleagues and the policy-making process – are the most successful and admirable. In reality, only a minority of political leaders will truly make a lasting difference. Though we tend to dismiss more collegial styles of leadership as weak, it is often the most cooperative leaders who have the greatest impact. Drawing on extensive research and decades of political analysis and experience, Brown illuminates the achievements, failures and foibles of a broad array of twentieth century politicians. Whether speaking of redefining leaders like Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, and Margaret Thatcher, who expanded the limits of what was politically possible during their time in power, or the even rarer transformational leaders who played a decisive role in bringing about systemic change – Charles de Gaulle, Mikhail Gorbachev and Nelson Mandela, among them – Brown challenges our commonly held beliefs about political efficacy and strength. Overturning many of our assumptions about the twentieth century’s most important figures, Brown’s conclusions are both original and enlightening. The Myth of the Strong Leader compels us to reassess the leaders who have shaped our world – and to reconsider how we should choose and evaluate those who will lead us into the future. |
Contents
Putting Leaders in Context | 25 |
Myths Powers Styles | 62 |
Redefining Leadership | 101 |
Transformational Political Leadership | 148 |
Revolutions and Revolutionary Leadership | 194 |
Totalitarian and Authoritarian Leadership | 250 |
Other editions - View all
The Myth of the Strong Leader: Political Leadership in the Modern Age Archie Brown Limited preview - 2014 |
The Myth of the Strong Leader: Political Leadership in the Modern Age Archie Brown No preview available - 2014 |
The Myth of the Strong Leader: Political Leadership in the Modern Age Archie Brown No preview available - 2015 |
Common terms and phrases
Alfred Stepan American president Attlee authoritarian authoritarian regimes became become believed Bolsheviks Britain British Cabinet Cambridge Castro cent Chamberlain Chancellor China Chinese Churchill Churchill’s colleagues Communist Party Conservative constitutional Cultural decades decisive democracy democratic Deng Deng Xiaoping economic election electoral especially Europe Fidel Castro foreign policy French Gaulle Germany Gorbachev Harold Macmillan Hitler Ibid important invasion Iraq Johnson Khrushchev Korea Lenin less liberal London Lord Macmillan majority Mandela Mao Zedong Mao’s Margaret Thatcher ment Mikhail Gorbachev military Moscow Mussolini Nazi Nazi Germany Oxford University Press parliament parliamentary party leader people’s person Politburo political leadership political parties political system politicians popular presidential prime minister radical Reagan redefining leader reform Republic revolution revolutionary role Roosevelt Roy Jenkins rule Russia Saddam Second World senior social socialist Soviet Union Stalin strong leader Suárez successful Suez tion Tony Blair totalitarian Truman United victory vote York