ABSTRACT
Leaders are pervasive in politics. When politics and policymaking are being discussed at any level of government or organizational setting, leaders are probably the most significant topic of conversation. Political and organizational leaders, and those who wish to rise into positions of leadership, dominate media coverage and become the subjects of best-selling biographies. Although most of what actually transpires in politics and policymaking is the product of diverse factors beyond the control or even influence of particular individuals, leaders hold more sway than any other participants in the system. They are the ones rewarded or punished for what is accomplished, or not. Failures in governing, policymaking, and institutional performance are often-perhaps usually-ascribed to failures of leadership. While John Lennon may have been able to imagine “no countries,” few of us could imagine political life devoid of leaders.
