Conceptualizing the Strategic Rationality of Leadership in the Development Process: Lessons from the Asian Experience

Introduction: After World War II, growth and development were considered essential goals of every country. Therefore, it is undoubtedly of great importance to understand the reasons for these changes and also to recognize the secrets of a country's growth, development, and progress. Development and leadership are so intertwined that it is difficult to imagine a human group or even a government without a leader. When we discuss leadership, our thoughts often turn to those who are at the helm of an organization, group, or government, as it is these leaders who can bring about significant changes. Therefore, understanding the reasons for the development and progress of these countries is undoubtedly unthinkable without paying attention to the role of leaders and their strategic rationality, which was evident in the midst of difficult circumstances. With this introduction, the purpose of this article is to answer the question: By considering the role of leaders in the development process of various countries, especially those in East Asia, can the concept of strategic rationality of leadership be used to explain the development of these countries? Moreover, if the answer is yes, what are the components of this strategic rationality of leadership? The article examines the hypothesis that the development that has occurred in many countries, including East Asian countries, at least in the last half-century, was due to the strategic rationality of the leaders of these countries.

Method: To examine this hypothesis, this article attempts to identify indicators of strategic rationality in leadership through the analysis and interpretation of speeches, biographies, documents, and other works related to leaders. Therefore, by studying these texts, an attempt is made to identify and index the leading indicators and components of the concept of strategic rationality of leadership as a key concept in unraveling the mystery of the development of these countries as much as possible.

Results and Discussion: Considering the development experiences of some countries over the past few decades, especially those of East Asian countries, despite their different development paths and cultural, political, and historical differences, what attracts the most attention is the role of their leaders in the development and progress of their countries. This role is so prominent and important that the development of each of these countries is closely tied to the name of its political leadership. Therefore, the common thread and constant foundation for the development of all these countries is the existence of leaders who paved the way for their development by adopting appropriate policies. The findings of this research indicate that recent development experiences in East Asian countries, in particular, are primarily attributed to leaders who, through their strategic rationality, have paved the way for development. Strategic rationality can be characterized by indicators such as limited imagination versus unlimited imagination, political tragic thinking, building trust, using valid theories, prioritizing issues, matching the problem to the solution, a sense of responsibility, relying on reality as the guiding light of policy, pragmatism, and creating self-correcting mechanisms.

Conclusion: The secret to success and the key indicator of these leaders can be summarized in the concept of strategic leadership rationality. Suppose we pay attention to the role of leaders in the development path of East Asian countries, to conceptualize strategic leadership rationality. In that case, we are compelled to scientifically and practically explain and interpret its indicators and components. Although strategic leadership rationality cannot be considered limited to these characteristics and indicators, it can serve as a starting point for leaders to learn from the experiences of their successful peers and open the door for further academic discussions on this concept.