LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Ispanija (Spain); Politinė lyderystė; Kokybiniai tyrimai; Demokratija; Political leadership; Qualitative research; Transition to democracy.
ENAny 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. [From the publication]