Are leaders letting democracy die?

Less than half of the world’s nations are full-fledged democracies today. That’s down from just 20 years ago.

Part of the problem is a nation’s democratic death usually isn’t dramatic or sudden; it’s often a series of subtler, slower moves such as only appointing loyalists to cabinet posts and judgeships, or threatening the press if coverage isn’t towing the party line.

How does this happen in leadership? In this episode, three international thought leaders—Matt Qvortrup, Veronika Anghel, and Mike Hardy—discuss how a growing number of despots, dictators, and demagogues have finessed techniques to undermine democracy…and leadership strategies to strengthen democracies against them.

Other episodes you'll enjoy:

• Reality Lost: How Disinformation Shapes Your World with Tara McGowan

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RESOURCES:  

Guest Matt Qvortup has written extensively about democracies. Two books to start with are Death by a Thousand Cuts: Neuropolitics, Thymos, and the Slow Demise of Democracy (print version: https://amzn.to/4bDSJyR, Kindle version: https://amzn.to/3ONkviA) and I Want to Break Free: A Practical Guide to Making a New Country (print version: https://amzn.to/49wh4oI, Kindle version: https://amzn.to/49jNaUO).

Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here. 

Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI. Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 

Books we’re reading for fun or personal development right now include:

• Everyday Ubuntu: Living Better Together, the African Way by Mungi Ngomane. Hardback (https://amzn.to/48Doh6j) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/48YCRF4)

• Full Disclosure – https://amzn.to/46TxW6Q (paperback) https://amzn.to/46VDL3Q (audiobook)

NOTE: As an Amazon partner, we may make a small commission from books you buy through these links.

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OUR PODCAST TEAM:  

Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf

Editor & Producer: Dan Mushalko

Video & Graphics Editor: Devon Mushalko

Assistant Editor & Raconteur: Luigi Morelli

Holding a Plural Majority: Jenna Reik & Mike Morrow-Fox

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Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 

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About Our Guests:  

Mike Hardy is Chair of Intercultural Relations and a founding Director of the Centre for Trust, Peace, and Social Relations at Coventry University. He is adjunct professor of leadership at the LSPR Institute of Communications and Business in Jakarta, Indonesia. Mike has been twice honoured in the UK, awarded the OBE in 2001 for his peace-building work in the Middle East, and appointed a Companion of Honour of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the HM Queen’s Birthday Honours June 2010 for his work internationally in Intercultural Dialogue. Mike is a Board Director and Chair of the International Leadership Association (www.ila-net.org), Chair of Trustees of The Faith and Belief Forum (http://faithbeliefforum.org), the leading interfaith charity in the UK, and life-fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts.

Veronika Anghel is Lecturer at Johns Hopkins’ SAIS Europe/Bologna Institute for Policy Research; a Visiting Fellow with the Robert Schuman Center - European University Institute; and Editorial Fellow, Government & Opposition.  Dr. Anghel was previously a Max Weber Fellow and Assistant Professor (part-time) in the Political Science Department of the European University Institute. She held research fellowships at the Stanford University (Fulbright), Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, the Institute for Human Sciences Vienna, the Institute for Central Europe Vienna, the University of Bordeaux, and the Institute for Government in Vienna. She received her PhD summa cum laude from the University of Bucharest in co-direction with the University of Bordeaux. Dr. Anghel worked as a foreign affairs advisor for the Romanian Presidential Administration (2014 – 2015) and a Diplomatic Adviser for the Romanian Senate (2012 – 2014). Anghel provides risk analysis for consultancy outfits on European integration, rule of law issues and party politics in post-communist Europe. Dr. Anghel is the recipient of the 2020 ‘Rising Star’ Award of the European Consortium of Political Research.

Matt Qvortrup is professor of political science at Coventry University. Described by the Financial Times, as “a world authority on referendums”, he has published more than a dozen books on democracy and presented the BBC Program How to Kill a Democracy.