Role of Leadership in Transitional States: The Cases of Lebanon, Israel-Palestine.

摘要

The United States plays a significant role in the Middle East. When dealing with the region, often the dilemma is: should there be a strong or weak regional leadership in order to facilitate a transitional phase. However, this decision is contextual, and a state must know what is its own foreign policy. To promote its national interests in the long term, the United States might have to prioritize the local interests and almost altruistically help the regions overcome their internal divisions and problems. In this book, Dr. Anastasia Filippidou reviews the main leadership theories in order to set the foundations for analysis of asymmetric leadership in transitional processes. The report also examines the different leadership types and highlights that, with the exception possibly of toxic leadership, it is difficult, if not impossible, to determine that a specific type is better than another in every situation. According to Dr. Filippidou, some leadership styles are likely to be more effective in certain situations, and that a really effective leader is one who is able to determine the context of the situation and use the most effective leadership behavior required at the time. The concept of asymmetric leadership is based on the notion that, when political leaders find themselves in a position which compromises their intents, which is often the case during transition, they adapt and adjust to the new realities not necessarily because they accept the causes for change, but because they need and want to survive. Leaders in transitional processes can find themselves in situations that compromise their intentions, which is often dictated by broader political circumstances and changes in the political environment. This idea of a constantly changing environment and its consequences validate the concept of asymmetric leadership.