ABSTRACT
We may well ask how it is that the leader of a small island with a population of around ten million is still a thorn in the side of the most powerful nation in human history. In this chapter I propose that this is because he has designed a leadership style in which he identifies himself with Cuban national aspirations and these, in turn, have come to symbolize the cause of underdogs everywhere. This communication strategy – like that of Mandela and Gandhi – establishes an ethical legitimacy through adopting the cause of the underprivileged in societies dominated by apparently powerful and immoral forces; this satisfies the deep unconscious needs of followers for a heroic leader.
