Reconciliation-Oriented Leadership: Chilean President Michelle Bachelet

摘要

Building on an earlier study of Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela as reconciliation-oriented leaders (Lieberfeld, 2009), this article outlines the personality traits common to such leaders and applies them to Michelle Bachelet, president of Chile from 2006 to 2010. The traits induced from biographic data as characteristic of such leaders are high degrees of emotional self-control, empathy, conceptual complexity, optimism concerning others' potential for changed attitudes, and pragmatic and non-dogmatic approaches to politics. The article highlights the relevance of these traits to Bachelel's contributions to bridging social and political divisions in the wake of violent intrasocietal conflict.