Saddam Hussein's Leadership Styleconsidering what would be best, most cost effective, or most feasible
given the situation and context. It will take a series of failures to con-
vince this type of leader that a plan is faulty or will not work. But
once convinced, such leaders can evidence a dramatic shift in behav-
ior and can produce a persuasive argument for why the change was
necessary, given the country's goal. They interpret the world and pol-
itics; learning about others' views only becomes important in order
to sell one's position or to know who needs to be persuaded.
Leaders with this pattern of scores often organize the decision-
making process in a hierarchical fashion so that they can maintain
control over what happens. This type of organization means that
they are the hub of the information wheel, able to withhold or share
intelligence so that they will be the only person who knows every-
thing. That they are moderate in conceptual complexity means that
they are constantly monitoring the environment for data that facili-
tates them maintaining influence over the process and who is
included in implementing actions. These leaders will not win any
"most popular leader" contests, but they are often admired or feared
for what they can do, and they stand out and cannot be discounted.
General Orientation to Politics
Hussein's pattern of scores suggests that he has an expansionists ori-
entation to politics. Leaders who are more expansionistic in their
behavior have been found to be high in nationalism, the need for
power, distrust of others, and self-confidence. In a similar fashion to
such leaders, Hussein perceives the political world as highly anarchic
and full of threats; the only way for him and Iraq to have any power
and influence in this world is for him to maintain control over what
he currently has and to work to increase his power and authority in
his region through enterprises such as building and maintaining var-
ious types of weaponry, invading neighbors' territory, affecting
world oil prices, challenging the world's superpower, or attempting
to assume the mantle of leader of the Arab world. Hussein's profile is
quite similar to those of Fidel Castro (Cuba), Kwame Nkrumah
(Ghana), and Gamal Abdel Nasser (Egypt). Each of these leaders was
interested in playing a larger role on the world's stage than their
country's size or capabilities had dealt them. Each centralized power
in his government, perceived himself as the government, was highly