The tension between ruler and ruled in democratic societies has never been satisfactorily resolved, and the competing interpretations of this relationship lie at the bottom of much modern political discourse. In this fascinating book, Thomas Wren clarifies and elevates the debates over leadership by identifying the fundamental premises and assumptions that underlie past and present understandings. The author traces the intellectual history of the central constructs: the leader, the people, and, ultimately, the relationship between them as they seek to accomplish societal objectives. He begins with a discussion of the invented notion of the classical paragon of a ruler. Next he pursues the invention of the countervailing concept of a sovereign people, and finally, the need for the invention of a new construct - leadership - which embodies a new relation between ruler and ruled in regimes dedicated to power in the people. In doing so, he draws upon the giants of the Western intellectual tradition as well as the insights of modern historians, political scientists, sociologists and leadership scholars. The book concludes with a proposed model of leadership for a modern democratic world. Elegantly written and masterfully argued, this comprehensive study will be essential reading for students and scholars of leadership and democracy.

In Reflections on Leadership fifteen prominent leadership scholars pay tribute to James MacGregor Burns's book, Leadership, a classic in the field of leadership studies. The contributors address the puzzles and anomalies in his work, such as: the place of values in leadership; leadership as a casual factor in change; levels of analysis; interdisciplinary approaches to the study of leadership; the distance of his theory from everyday experience; the absence of gender and race, and more.

This book serves as a guided introduction to the rich a diverse perspectives on leadership throughout the ages and throughout the world. Each of the selections, introduced by the editor, presents enlightening thoughts on a different aspect of leadership. Writings by Plato, Aristotle, Lao-tzu and others demonstrate that the challenges of leadership are as old as civilization. Machiavelli, Tolstoy, Ghandi, and W.E.B. Du Bois provide a wide range of insights into the eternal practice and problems of leadership. Modern masters of leadership such as James MacGregor Burns, John Kotter, and Warren Bennis join such leading practitioners as Max De Pree and Roger B. Smith in discussing contemporary issues in leadership theory and practice.

The tension between ruler and ruled in democratic societies has never been satisfactorily resolved, and the competing interpretations of this relationship lie at the bottom of much modern political discourse. In this fascinating book, Thomas Wren clarifies and elevates the debates over leadership by identifying the fundamental premises and assumptions that underlie past and present understandings. The author traces the intellectual history of the central constructs: the leader, the people, and, ultimately, the relationship between them as they seek to accomplish societal objectives. He begins with a discussion of the invented notion of the classical paragon of a ruler. Next he pursues the invention of the countervailing concept of a sovereign people, and finally, the need for the invention of a new construct - leadership - which embodies a new relation between ruler and ruled in regimes dedicated to power in the people. In doing so, he draws upon the giants of the Western intellectual tradition as well as the insights of modern historians, political scientists, sociologists and leadership scholars. The book concludes with a proposed model of leadership for a modern democratic world. Elegantly written and masterfully argued, this comprehensive study will be essential reading for students and scholars of leadership and democracy.

This definitive work analyzes the current suite of public works standard form contracts and associated documents in Ireland, the use of which is mandatory for all public construction works. The book provides a detailed analysis of the four major forms of the construction contract - PWCF1 to PWCF4, inclusive - for use where the contract price is above the EU threshold for the EU Works Directive. All four standard forms have the same provisions - whether for building or civil construction - with modifications, depending upon whether design is undertaken by the State authority employer or by the contractor. The forms present a significant departure from what went before: some concepts are still relatively new to the industry and new language and definitions which remain to be tested in terms of interpretation. Written as an Irish reference source, both for the procurement stage as well as for the post-award through the life of a construction contract, Public Works in Ireland contains a chapter for each clause of the contract, with additional chapters dealing with EU public procurement law, associated model forms for bonds, warranties, standard letters, and other procedural observances required under EU and Irish law. A chapter on the disputes clause contains a commentary on the conciliation process and a detailed analysis of the prescribed arbitration rules, AR1, in terms of the Arbitration Act 2010, and observations on the likely impact of the Construction Contracts Act 2013.