To Stop a Tyrant: The Power of Political Followers to Make or Brake a Toxic Leader with Ira Chaleff

Cult Conversations: The Influence Continuum with Dr. Steve Hassan

Dr. Steven Hassan

Self-improvement, Society & Culture, Education

4.8 • 684 Ratings

🗓️ 28 October 2024

⏱️ 62 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When thinking about political leaders—those with influence over national or global issues—how often do we consider the role of their political followers? Could you or I say “no” to a toxic leader and courageously defy their commands? This consideration is critical. Leaders don’t operate in isolation. They need political followers who support, amplify, and even challenge their actions. These checks and balances support strong, fair leadership and ensure the political process is just. To Stop a Tyrant is a book approved of by readers at both ends of the political spectrum as it is a non-partisan and evergreen topic. In my interview with Ira Chaleff, author of The Courageous Follower and Intelligent Disobedience: Doing Right When What You’re Told to Do Is Wrong, we explored this multifaceted relationship as he explained how political followers have the power to support healthy leadership or enable authoritarianism. His fascinating perspective comes from a dedicated career of studying the dynamics of leadership and followership – specifically in political contexts. Together, we unpacked his insights on what he calls “Courageous Followership,” his perspectives on intelligently and ethically disobeying harmful instructions from a leader, and the roles of followers who have the power to combat undue influence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, I'm Dr. Stephen Hassan with another episode of The Influence Continuum.
0:09.8	I have an old friend and colleague with me, Ira Chayloff, who I've interviewed before,
0:16.2	but Ira has a new book that I feel it's very timely.
0:24.3	Before I tell you about the book, I want to tell you about him first and some of his previous books, which I think are extraordinary. And then
0:31.4	we'll get into talking about the new book. Ira is president of executive coaching and consulting associates in Washington, D.C.
0:40.7	He's written a number of excellent books of which intelligent disobedience doing right when what
0:50.6	you're told to do is wrong, which is fantastic.
0:57.1	And then the courageous follower,
1:01.0	standing up to and for our leaders.
1:04.1	I think you're getting the theme of the new book,
1:07.8	which is to stop a tyrant, the power of political followers to make or break, B-R-A-K-E, a toxic leader,
1:17.2	Ira Chalof, and going on.
1:20.2	Ira, you've been involved, and now you are the emeritus chair of the nonpartisan
1:27.2	Congressional Management Foundation, so you're nonpartisan,
1:32.0	you really are trying to tread, you know, being just a good American citizen. And your thing
1:41.2	is empowering people to understand they have power and that they, what they do,
1:49.9	what they say matters.
1:52.6	And so you're a visiting scholar.
1:56.3	You've also done an incredible program, which I promoted blink, think, choice voice for young
2:03.2	children to say no to predators, sexual predators, and other predatory people, which is phenomenal.
2:12.1	So we could go on and on and on, but we're here to talk to my audience about how to break a toxic leader.
2:23.7	And so with that, I'm pitching you a softball, my friend. Tell us about what you feel is the moment
	...

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