Ira Chaleff
Author
17 Quail Roost Lane
Huntly, VA 22640
www.irachaleffauthor.com
phone: 540 631 9026
cell: 240 994 0363
For anyone, anywhere on the political spectrum
Ira Chaleff, an expert in political followership and one of the 100 “Best Minds in Leadership” (Leadership Excellence magazine) reveals how political followers can make or “brake” toxic leaders and what we can do —no matter our level of political influence or where we sit on the political spectrum— to support beneficial leaders and stop the rise of would-be tyrants.
Political tyrants are one of the most destructive forces in the world, perpetrating mass oppression, suffering, war, and genocide. Unfortunately, we are no closer to eliminating this scourge of human political organization than we have ever been.
Wherever you are on the political spectrum, you may have growing —even alarming— concerns about the potential impact of destructive political leaders on your country and those you love. You see increasing attempts by these leaders to use the power of the media and government to control the citizenry, enrich their cronies, turn ordinary people against each other, and weaken the checks and balances on which democracies depend. At the same time, you may feel despair about your ability to make a difference on the course of events or feel unsure of how to take a stand.
Ira Chaleff, with his long and deep exposure to leadership and followership at high levels of government service and his extensive research into abuses of power, shows us that we, too, have power —and maybe more than we think. But it must be used in timely and politically savvy ways.
Chaleff unpacks the choices for action available to us depending on our circle of influence in relation to the political leaders we support or oppose. He explores the pressures found in each of these circles and identifies windows of opportunity for interrupting a progression from governance to tyrannical rule. Chaleff reveals the follower’s ability to make a tangible difference in preventing the rise and consolidation of toxic political leaders’ power. He offers his readers a sense of real personal agency in place of feelings of helplessness and anxiety.
Building on the success of his award-winning books, The Courageous Follower and Intelligent Disobedience, Chaleff’s timely new book provides a mirror, a map, and guideposts for looking at ourselves and our ability to create better political leadership that we crave for our communities and our nation.
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1 — Followers in a Political Context
Chapter 2 — Political Leaders — Uses and Abuses of Office
Chapter 3 — Circles of Followers — The Political Leader They Create
Chapter 4 — The Populace Circle — You and the Foundation of Political Power
Chapter 5 — The Populace Circle — The Crowd and the Individual
Chapter 6 — The Activists Circle — The Threat and Responsibility
Chapter 7 — The Bureaucrat Circle — The Arm of the Government Leader
Chapter 8 — The Bureaucrat Circle — Developing Political Savvy
Chapter 9 — The Bureaucrat Circle — Navigating Dilemmas
Chapter 10 — The Elite Circle — Influencers and the Power of Access
Chapter 11 — The Elite Circle — Types of Elites and Their True Sef-Interest
Chapter 12 — The Confidant Circle — Who Are They Really
Chapter 13 — The Confidant Circle — Seduced by Power and the Price Paid
Chapter 14 — Coalitions of Followers — How They Stop a Tyrant
Chapter 15 — Refections on Political Following
Acknowledgments
Works Cited
