Political change and Policy change: some notes on the role of leadership as a theoretical and empirical problem

Leadership is a powerful driver of political and policy change. It is also a specific means by which “agency” matters in political and policy processes. This paper sets out some theoretical questions concerning the problem of why, when and how leadership becomes a fundamental driver of political and policy change, by focusing on the following theoretical problems: 1. The fact that policy leadership is not necessarily an individual mission but often a collective undertaking involving people at various institutional levels and policy stages. In this sense, policy leadership may be viewed as a longitudinal, horizontal dimension of the policy dynamics present throughout the policy process. 2. The situational nature of leadership, i.e. how different leadership styles and structures match contingencies. 3. Policy leadership is not only a rhetorical activity but a political one as well. Coalition-building is a core business of policy leadership.