The Captive King and His Captive Court: The Psychopolitical Dynamics of the Disabled Leader and His Inner Circle

Abstract

Drawing on case material from recent and past history, this paper systematically examines the effects of leader disability on political decision making and behavior, giving special attention to the complex relationship between the disabled leader and his inner circle. Four groups of factors are examined: (1) factors related to the illness itself, including whether the illness is physical or mental, and whether the disability is temporary or preterminal, total or partial; (2) factors related to the leader and his reaction to his illness, including the degree to which the leader denies or acknowledges the extent of his disability; (3) factors related to the nature of the political system including whether the society is open or closed, and whether there is a clearly defined succession process; and (4) factors associated with the medical care of the VIP patient, including the conflict between the health needs of the individual and the political needs of the system. In a closed society, with a partially disabled leader, the leader and his inner circle can become locked in a fatal embrace, each dependent upon the other for survival–the syndrome of the Captive King and His Captive Court.

Succession and Nonsuccession Concerns of Family Firms and Agency Relationship with Nonfamily Managers

“…However, their impacts are potentially large. For example, Post and Robins (1993) suggest that nonfamily managers may obstruct succession to delay/avoid change, and Gallo and Vilaseca's (1998) research shows that nonfamily managers can make a major contribution to a family firm's strategic processes.…”

Strategic Management of the Family Business: Past Research and Future Challenges

“…It is also unclear whether results such as these can be generalized to situations involving female owners or successors (Dumas, 1989). Both Post and Robins (1993) and Lansberg (1988) believe that succession timing can be affected by the founder's "inner circle" if the people in that circle perceive leadership continuity to be in their best interest. How to mobilize this inner circle for the good of the firm is a question still waiting for an answer.…”

Stress and Political Leadership

“…His followers were aware of this condition, and would generally succeed in bringing him out of it by "informing" him of plots by his enemies. Anger and intense activity would rapidly submerge melancholy (Perlmutter, 1987;Post andRobins, 1990, 1993).…”