CAMBRIDGE – Public-opinion polls show that citizens in many
democracies are unhappy with their leaders. This is particularly
true in Great Britain, where a number of members of Parliament
have used their housing allowances to enhance their income,
sometimes legally and sometimes not. Some analysts predict that
only half of Britain’s MPs will be returned in next year’s
election. But, whatever the failures of particular British
legislators, the issues go further than merely allowing voters
to “throw the rascals out.” There is also a question of how
successful leadership is taught and learned in a democracy. A
successful democracy requires leadership to be widespread
throughout government and civil society. Citizens who express
concern about leadership need to learn not only how to judge it,
but how to practice it themselves. Many observers say that
leadership is an art rather than a science. Good leadership is
situational. In my book The Powers to Lead , I call this skill
“contextual intelligence.” The ability