Supported Publications

Political Leadership. Interpretations from Research and Practice

Every manager wants to have it but only a few are credited with it: leadership. This very topical magic word is used to describe the ability to look at the bigger picture and the readiness to make decisions coupled with the ability to motivate others and the courage to go for new solutions.

But what about political leadership? How are such quality criteria transferred to the political context? What role does leadership play, both within and outside the classical political parties? By what standards do we measure leadership in a democracy? Regina Jankowitsch and Annette Zimmer have embarked on a search for answers to these questions. In twenty articles, four of which are interviews with leading politicians in Germany and Austria, the two editors – a business coach and a political scientist – have found ample material for a detailed discussion on the topic. Only one thing seems to be certain: political leadership is much more than the ability to win elections.