Abstract
Prime Minister Helen Clark's leadership is self-consciously pragmatic. She styles herself as a prudent manager, avoiding both the flamboyance of Large and the rhetorical bludgeoning of the Muldoon era. However, her othe Rwise strong leadership is flawed by her disdain for the power of rhetoric. Rhetorical ability rarely stands alone and is dependent on an ability to transform rhetoric into action; thus, managerial ability is also crucial. This article provides a model of rhetorical and managerial ability, allowing contrasts to be drawn based on a leader's relative strengths in each area. The model is then applied to Helen Clark, demonstrating that her leadership could be enhanced by the prudent use of political rhetoric.
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