The future of Europe's east is open. Can the societies of this vast region become more democratic and secure and integrate into the European mainstream? Or are they destined to become failed, fractured lands of grey mired in the stagnation and turbulence historically characteristic of Europe's borderlands? How and why is Russia seeking to influence these developments, and what is the future of Russia itself? How should the West engage?

Russia's policy towards post-Soviet states oscillates between the poles of traditional power politics and the economic interests of its elites. This pattern mirrors the differences between its rather closed political system and its partly open economy. The country's relations with its post-Soviet neighbors have three main functions: international recognition of its status as a regional power, domestic legitimization of the Putin system, and access to and distribution of income for Russian elites. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has failed to integrate post-Soviet states because it has wished to dominate them rather than taking a genuine approach to integration. The Eurasian Economic Union, which tries to imitate the European Union's successful integration policy, will fail unless Russian leadership can develop an attractive political and economic model. As long as Russian elites are primarily interested in their own welfare, Russia will not be able to develop soft power. Meanwhile, the EU has managed to develop soft power and an attractive integration model, but it is not willing to make a serious commitment to becoming the normative hegemon in the post-Soviet neighborhood. (Series: DGAP-Writings on International Politics / DGAP-Schriften zur Internationalen Politik)

Today's leaders and managers have to operate in an environment characterised by complexity. What does coping with this ever- and faster-increasing degree of complexity require of them? It means that if they are to deal successfully with all the challenges they need to reconsider their leadership approaches. Leading in Hyper-complexity is dedicated to all experienced managers and leaders who lead across space and time while simultaneously operating in 'conventional' structures. It takes a closer look at how to lead, and how to navigate in today's complex and sometimes unpredictable business environment. Anyone experienced in tackling today's complexity will know that you cannot expect to find easy-to-follow recipes for success. But we are not powerless, as is shown by the ten in-depth interviews with top managers from different cultures featured in this book. These describe in very practical terms their personal and professional struggles with complexity. Based on decades of consulting and coaching experience working with such leaders and managers, the authors describe seven modular 'Apps' which they have developed to assist in dealing with complexity in the work environment. These Apps enable readers to get a better understanding of the 'complexity mix' in their own environments and then make a positive impact with the results they create. But just a word of warning! There is still a lot to understand in order to be fit for the next leadership generation. To foster further work and inspiration in this direction the authors have shared a lot of their 'work in progress' in the extended Appendix.

"Closeness at a Distance" is a groundbreaking approach to the challenges so many teams, and team leaders, face today. Virtual working is now a reality for most professionals, and the winners of tomorrow will be companies that proactively drive the performance of their virtual cooperations. Virtual leadership, project management at a distance, and networking are today's and tomorrow's critical success factors. So any leader needs to ask him or herself "Is your virtual collaboration as successful as it should be?" How to answer this question, and how to improve performance in this key area, is the focus of this book. It introduces readers to Virtual Performance Improvement (VPI(c)) as the gateway to solutions to all key challenges faced by international virtual teams, groups, and networks. The book supports leaders so they perform successfully and effectively in virtual global environments. It guides team leaders, project and network managers, members, and even whole organizations, to areas of potential improvement in virtual performance and will help them turn vital challenges into competitive advantages. The book gives new insights into how to assist global groups, teams, and networks to perform better, and links project management, organizational, and cultural issues with the world of communication technology. 'Enriched with numerous case studies and a storyline woven into the chapters, this book will be of immediate, practical help to anyone working with virtual teams and groups, or consulting, coaching, or training in such a context

Relations between Russia and the West are at their lowest ebb since the Cold War. "What to do about Russia" is a matter of daily debate among Europeans and Americans. Few of those debates directly include Russian views on contemporary challenges. This volume fills this gap by featuring authors from Russia, as well as non-Russian experts on Russia, who present Russian views on relations with Western countries.