Leadocracy: Hiring More Great Leaders (Like You) into Government

In his latest, motivational speaker Smart (Who: The A Method for Hiring) promotes “leadocracy,” which he defines as “government by society’s greatest leaders.” To make this happen, Smart offers his “A” Method, or the three As: analyzing goals, allocating resources, and aligning personnel. “Holding on to a corporate job that has become routine does not offer many chances to experience flow,” Smart observes lamely of the complex psychological concept. The energy of “flow” comes, he promises, “when a leader is in the process of applying the 3 As of Leadership” to government and “sees the excitement on the faces of key constituents.” Banal discussion questions such as “Are great leaders born or made?” conclude each chapter. Though Smart promises to guide his readers to creative control of bureaucracies, the results are incoherent. Smart floats his Leaders Initiative, a not-for-profit organization, and offers a hokey Leadocracy Pledge promising that the signer “will complete a full-time, two-year leadership role in government by my sixtieth birthday.” Those dreaming of government jobs might find some inspiration, but would-be government leaders who face iron bureaucracies and complex regulatory procedures will need less fuzzy talk and a more detailed blueprint. While Smart wears the mantle of his teacher Peter F. Drucker, an expert on modern corporations, his system will captivate few Drucker fans. (July)