ABOUT THIS BOOK

Accomplished political leaders have a clear strategy for turning political visions into reality. Through well-honed analytical, political, and emotional intelligence, leaders chart paths to promising futures that include economic growth, material prosperity, and human well-being. Alas, such leaders are rare in the developing world, where often institutions are weak and greed and corruption strong—and where responsible leadership therefore has the potential to effect the greatest change.

In Transformative Political Leadership, Robert I. Rotberg focuses on the role of leadership in politics and argues that accomplished leaders demonstrate a particular set of skills. Through illustrative case studies of leaders who have performed ably in the developing world—among them Nelson Mandela in South Africa, Seretse Khama in Botswana, Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore, and Kemal Ataturk in Turkey—Rotberg examines how these leaders transformed their respective countries. The importance of capable leadership is woefully understudied in political science, and this book will be an important tool in exploring how leaders lead and how nations and institutions are built.

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Robert I. Rotberg is the former director of the Program on Intrastate Conflict and Conflict Resolution at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and former president emeritus of the World Peace Foundation. He is the author or editor of numerous books, among them When States Fail,China into Africa, and A Leadership for Peace.

REVIEWS

“Compelling, straightforward, and accessible, Transformative Political Leadership brings the insights of leadership studies to bear on the challenges of nation builders in the developing world. The result is a very thought-provoking addition to the field of development that is sure to stimulate healthy controversy.”

— William Ascher, Claremont McKenna College

“Robert I. Rotberg’s imaginative focus—political leadership of developing countries—throws a unique and brilliant light on the complexities of leading during crisis and change. The eloquently written case studies of leaders, from Ataturk to Mandela, illuminate the tricky navigation of political transition, so urgently needed in today’s roiling world.”

— Warren Bennis, Distinguished Professor of Management, University of Southern California, author of Still Surprised: A Memoir of a Life in Leadership

“Robert I. Rotberg offers a carefully detailed, deeply insightful analysis of how great leaders can overcome daunting challenges to put their countries on a better path. Transformative Political Leadership offers important lessons that will resonate far beyond the developing world. A must-read for anyone interested in improving political leadership.”—Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard University, author of SuperCorp: How Vanguard Companies Create Innovation, Profits, Growth, and Social Good

— Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard University

“In a period of renewed interest in leadership, Transformative Political Leadership should foster discussion of the qualities that distinguish the people who make profound, positive differences in the futures of their countries.”—Jennifer Widner, Princeton University

— Jennifer Widner, Princeton University

“Drawing on his years of firsthand experience in the developing world, Robert I. Rotberg illuminates the crucial role of transformational leaders. He uses clear prose and compelling examples to show why these leaders make such an important difference in political cultures that lack strong national institutions.”—Joseph Nye, Harvard University

— Joseph Nye, Harvard University

Refreshingly different, compelling, and confident. That institutions matter for good governance and economic success is widely believed among political scientists and economists, but how to transition from bad to good institutions is the trillion dollar question. It is here that Rotberg gives hope to the hopeless: when institutions are weak and incentives are sufficiently fluid, the right kind of political leader can usher in the institutions that sustain long-run success.

— Public Choice

"Drawing on firsthand experience in the Global South, Robert I. Rotberg makes a strong case for compelling, enlightened political leadership in developing countries, where transformative rule has mostly been lacking since independence. Such effective leaders must possess high degrees of analytical, political, and, in particular, emotional intelligence, which involves the ability to empathize. . . . Recommended."

— Choice

“Robert Rotberg’s Transformative Political Leadership is a distinguished addition to the literature. Drawing on his extensive experience in the developing world, Rotberg illustrates transformative leadership with four compelling cases: Nelson Mandela in South Africa, Serfetse Khama in Botswana, Lee Kwan Yew in Singapore, and Kemal Ataturk in Turkey.”

— Political Science Quarterly

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

1. Political Leadership, Governance, Political Culture, and Political Institutions
     Political Leadership
     Governance
     Political Culture and Political Institutions

2. Compelling Political Leadership: The Critical Competencies

     The Differences Leaders Make
     Emotional Intelligence
     The Core Competencies
          The Vision Thing
          The Mobilization Momentum
          Being Legitimate
          Gaining Trust
          The Enlarged Enterprise
     Tapping into Authentic Needs
     The Contribution of Charisma
     The Cases

3. Nelson Mandela: Consummate Inclusionist

      A Manifest Destiny
      A Mass Leader Arrived
     Maturing as an Activist
      “An Ideal for Which I Am Prepared to Die”
      “I Will Return”
      Donning the Green Jersey

4. Seretse Khama: Resolute Democrat

     A Traditional Heritage
      “A Very Disreputable Transaction”
      “Slow and Steady”
      Noblesse Oblige
      Dirt-Poor and Principled
      “Democracy Must Be Nursed and Nurtured”
      Prudence, Morality, and Competence
      To Build a New Nation

5. Lee Kuan Yew: Systematic Nation-Builder

     Born to Lead
      The Singapore Express
      “Lee . . . Is the Only Man”
      Getting Singapore to Work
      A First World Oasis
      Paying a Heavy Price
      The Coming of Institutions
      The New Confucianism

6. Kemal Ataturk: Uncompromising Modernizer

      “Victory Is Mine”
     Only a Single Leader Would Do
     The Forced March to Modernity
     Off with the Fez
     The Commanding Vision
     Becoming Ataturk
      The New Turkey

7. The Crisis of Contemporary Political Leadership

     The Founders and Their Successors
     The Crisis
     Despots and Tyrants
     Transactional Leadership
     Leaders Making a Difference
     Strengthening Leadership in the Developing World

Acknowledgments

Notes

Index

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