To Stop a TyrantThe Power of Political Followers to Make or Brake a Toxic Leader
© 2024 by Ira Chaleff, All rights reserved
1st Edition (September 3, 2024)
Publisher: Wonderwell Press an imprint of Greenleaf Book Group
Language: English
Pages: 339
Hardcover:
— ISBN-10: 1637560567
— ISBN-13: 978-1637560563
— Weight: 1.35 pounds
— Dimensions: 5.8 x 1.3 x 8.5 inches
eBook
— File size: 3Mb
Overview
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
- About the Author
Trade Reviews
Chaleff, the chair emeritus of the nonpartisan Congressional Management Foundation, offers a call for political activism in the face of rising authoritarianism. In these pages, the author asserts that leaders, including would-be autocrats, are powerless without followers. He also describes the steps of an autocratic leader’s ascendancy, from “striving for office” to “abusing power,” “consolidating power,” and “tyrannical rule,” noting that the window for interrupting this progression remains open right up until the moment a “prototyrant” takes the step of consolidating power and eliminating challenges to his rule …more
Kirkus Reviews
July 23, 2024
Chaleff’s nonpartisan approach allows for examples of resisting tyranny from a variety of political contexts as he explores strong case studies… His focus on followership rather than leadership gives To Stop a Tyrant a more practical bent than other examinations of dictatorial leadership. Readers concerned about democracy will appreciate this practical examination of the unique roles we all can play in defending against tyrants. Urgent look at how ‘followers’ throughout the population can interrupt a tyrant’s rise …more
BookLife”
July, 2024
Endorsements
In To Stop a Tyrant, Ira Chaleff tackles a critical question: How do political followers empower or dismantle toxic leaders? This insightful exploration into the psychology of political supporters is a clarion call to do what you can to bring forth the best in public service.
To Stop a Tyrant is not a politicized screed to enable the partisan fractures of the moment. It is a powerful invitation to be a better informed and engaged citizen. A must read for how political tyranny can be preempted before it arrives in the halls of power.
As someone who has occupied every one of the five circles of followership described in Ira Chaleff’s brilliant book, I am struck by his remarkable insights and wise advice. Tyranny can consume or overpower any of us who lack the self-awareness to spot the warning signs. This superb tome is a must-read for anyone in government at any level, with huge lessons for corporate employees, too.l, man, there’s a beverage here!
As a former member of the Foreign Affairs committee of the US House of Representatives, I witnessed Eastern European countries free themselves from Soviet Union tyranny. Some are again veering toward dictatorship. Our own country shares that risk. To Stop a Tyrant is a magnificently impressive contribution to checking this tendency. I recommend it with great enthusiasm and even greater urgency!
To Stop a Tyrant masterfully navigates the complex political landscape with a refreshingly non-partisan approach. The deeply prescient observations in this book could not be more timely.
What an insightful analysis and practical guidance for how followers in every circle can take a stand for democracy! A brilliant piece of scholarship arriving at exactly the right moment.
Tyrants have been with us a long time, and they’re not through with us yet. Ira Chaleff’s book is all about tactics and solutions for withholding permission for tyrants to impose their will on insufficiently skeptical societies.
former Wall Street Journal reporter
So relevant! To Stop a Tyrant is the wakeup call to the perilous times we are living in. Chaleff challenges us to tap into our courageous follower superpowers and be this generation’s effective agents of political change.
Ira Chaleff’s books are neither conventional nor trivial. They are extraordinarily timely and razor-sharp as they address one of the most critical questions of civil society – citizens’ relationship with power. As of 2020, 52 nations were governed by toxic tyrants. To Stop a Tyrant will help us make a collective stand!
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