AnalyzingAsianPoliticalLeaders

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

This is a foundational course covering essential aspects of the psychology of world leaders, with a primary focus on Asian political leaders. Taught through a combination of lectures and class discussion, the course concentrates on the person of the leader and uses historical and current case studies of both famous and infamous leaders. Core psychological topics include family and childhood background, key personality features including charisma and paranoia, the leader’s health, patterns of behavior in and out of office, cognitive style, political vision, political acumen, and relationships with intimates and with the inner circle. The course surveys important elements of leaders’ interplay with their cultural, social, and political context, including large-group dynamics with followers, how world leaders relate to each other, and the shifting myths, fantasies, and narratives that develop around these seemingly larger-than-life personalities. The course touches on the utility, common pitfalls, and ethics of developing remote leader assessments for national security and private sector uses. Through a combination of written assignments and class presentations students will have opportunities to practice how political leadership profiles are produced and briefed to senior customers in professional intelligence contexts. The evolving role of technology in leadership and politics worldwide will be addressed throughout the course.