To Stop a Tyrant

Book excerpt: It is a sad fact that the world is awash in political tyrants. ​So is human history. 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 political leaders whom 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 power of toxic political leaders. 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. Ira Chaleff spent thirty years in Washington D.C., as executive director, chair, and now chair-emeritus of the Congressional Management Foundation, a non-partisan organization working on both sides of the political aisle to improve communication between constituents and their representatives. From this vantage point he has worked with Democrats and Republicans, has seen the best and worst of both and the influential role played by their staffs. This platform has taken him to global engagements in countries struggling to establish viable democracies in the face of a long history of military and dictatorial rule. This gives him a unique perspective from which to write a non-partisan and global examination of the strengths and dangers of political leadership. Ira has conducted hundreds of workshops for US federal employees on courageous leading and following and coached mid-level and senior executives in a wide range of government agencies. These activities have given him further insight into the relationship of elected office holders, their political appointees, and career civil servants. His work has found its way into the cultures of many federal agencies, the US military, and globally in venues such as the European Union, the British Army, and African and Asian leadership development programs. He has served on the board of the International Leadership Association and was a visiting leadership scholar at Churchill College, The University of Cambridge, England. He continues to write and lecture from his home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.