Any country embarking upon a political transition to democracy faces a complex period of change. While many factors influence successful democratization, political leadership remains a relatively unexplored phenomenon. This research presents a theoretical framework that is corroborated with data gathered from 65 semi-structured interviews with people involved in the transition processes of Spain and Lithuania along with the main political leaders themselves: King Juan Carlos I, Adolfo Suárez, Algirdas Brazauskas and Vytautas Landsbergis. The four leaders presented a similar political leadership style – based on their vision, decision-making, negotiation and power – which positively influenced the success of each transition to democracy.
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