Ch. 2 Summary- "The Concept of Leadership"
In chapter 2, Hargrove describes the ideal and desired characteristics of a leader. He compares various political leaders to his ideal concept of a leader. The concepts he describes that a leader should possess are: discernment, cultural leadership, skill in context, character, and the ability to teach reality and relate to people. On page 47, Hargrove creates a visual model/map of an ideal political leader. He discusses Richard Neustadt's book, The Presidential Power, which is about the ways that modern presidents are criticized. We feel that the most notable quote of the chapter is, "ask the politician and the observer to try to understand the culture of the polity well enough to make reasoned judgments about what is or was possible in a given context" (p41). First you have to understand the people you are leading and only then can you make reasonable judgments about what you should do.