of the last century. He ruled a quarter of the world’s population for
a quarter-century with unparalleled intensity (Pye, 1976 ). Scholars
everywhere were and are fascinated by the question, ‘‘What enabled
Mao to accomplish the seemingly unachievable?’’
Many explanations from historical, political, economic, cultural,
and social perspectives have been offered (Wilson, 1977 ). For instance,
one possible explanation of Mao’s appeal lies less in the man and more
in the nature of Chinese society, which means that the populace does
seem inclined to treat its leaders as imperial figures and even demi-
gods. However, millions of non-Chinese, old and young, who shared
no affinity to Mao’s rural background and varied social and personal
background were also inspired in their own political lives by Mao’s
words and example (Pye, 1976 ).
Pye attributes Mao’s appeal and greatness to the man’s extraordin-
ary ability ‘‘to understand, evoke, and direct human emotions and the
innumerable ways in which he has used his own persona to command
the sentiments and passions of others’’ (Pye, 1976 : 6). Wilson ( 1977 )
supports this claim in that elements in many massive movements
authored by Mao could hardly be explained in rational terms. Dittmer
( 1974 ) recognizes Mao’s personality as conforming to Harold Lass-
well’s definition of the ‘‘dramatizing character’’ whose skill resides
in commanding the immediate affective response in others. This
dramatizing personality and emotional charisma worked for Mao.
Because of the frustrations of impotence and oppression for years in
the first half of the last century, the Chinese were responsive to calls
for dramatic and revolutionary actions (Pye, 1976 ).
Thus, Mao’s charisma may be partly attributed to his acute under-
standing of his audience, especially the Chinese peasants who accounted
for 80 percent of the Chinese population. According to Snow (1944), as
early as the 1920s, Mao began to understand how to channel the
emotions of China’s peasants toward his revolutionary causes. He saw
firsthand that they felt immense anger against their landlords, and
he used this to great effect in framing revolutionary goals from the
peasants’ perspective (e.g. the slogans of ‘‘Down with the landlords!’’
and ‘‘Equal distribution of land!’’). Edgar Snow ( 1944 ), in his famous
Red Star over China,showed how acutely Mao perceived the senti-
ments of all groups which he could unite in the revolutionary cause.
For instance, Mao discerned Muslims’ disenchantment with the
Kuomintang generalMa Hung-kuei and his soldiers, whose maltreatment
Leadership theories and practices of Mao and Deng 219