Does it matter who the Leader is? Discuss using different models of leadership.

Question 1

Central conflict

Answer 1

Seems obvious that leaders are important: but why? what makes a good leader?

Question 2

Empirical Evidence that leaders matter - CAAW

Answer 2

Olken et al (2005) - random leader CHANGE (e.g. death or accident) causitively AFFECTS economic growth, particularly in AUTOCRACIES. Supports the Weberian view that leaders are more important when institutions are WEAKER and less constraints exist on power.

Question 3

Explanation 1: Informational - ICES

Answer 3

Maybe leaders are important because of their ability to transmit INFORMATION to followers
HERMALIN (1998) - need to CONVINCE followers that the leader has superior information and is not misleading them; done via leading by EXAMPLE and through SACRIFICE
Leader matters bc of their capacity/willingness to do these things…e.g. STALIN remaining in Moscow during the German siege

Question 4

What about leaders as focal points? - FEIJC

Answer 4

Leaders could be understood as FOCAL points utilized by groups to solve coordination problems
Myerson (2004) - when dealing with multiple EQUILIBRIA, leaders are valuable because the enable collective action; INSTITUTIONAL legitimacy matters much more than any personal characteristics
Even in this case, leader type is still important: Dewan and Myatt (2008) - Followers want to choose the best action and coordinate with others, so leaders with good JUDGEMENT and CLARITY of communication are more valuable than those without

Question 5

Institutional structure influences leadership…but how much? - EATOF

Answer 5

Canes-Wrone, et al (2001) - ELECTORAL incentives influence officials to engage in true leadership, pandering, and fake leadership…caused by information ASSYMETRY
Dewan and Squintani (2018) - Leaders function as nodes within a network, and efffectiveness depends on how many TRUSTWORTHY associates the leader has; majority rule may not align with OPTIMAL choice
Leaders FUNCTION within institutions, which also shape who becomes the leader, but individual characteristics still affect outcomes

Question 6

Conclusion

Answer 6

Leadership is context-dependent - how and why leaders matter depends on the situation/problems being addressed
In information-rich contexts, where it is important for the leader to transmit information effectively and for followers to trust them, Hermalin’s criteria are valuable
Other situations may function more like a coordination problem: the most important personal characteristics are communicative clarity and good judgement