Leadership and the Rise of Great Powers
Yan Xuetong’s *Leadership and the Rise of Great Powers* cuts through traditional international relations (IR) theories fixated on military or economic might, offering a game-changing Moral Realism framework to explain how rising nations overtake dominant global powers. Unlike most scholars who focus on why hegemons fall, this book centers on the critical, understudied role of political leadership—distinguishing between power, capability, and authority to untangle longstanding IR confusion. It breaks down state leadership into four distinct types (inaction-oriented, status-quo, progressive, combative) and international leadership into four models (benevolent authority, hegemonic power, incompetent, coercive), using ancient Chinese case studies and modern global examples to demonstrate how leadership shapes international norms, order, and system shifts. The book also predicts a U.S.-China bipolar world in the next decade, arguing that leadership effectiveness, not just raw power, will drive global dynamics, and explores how merging Eastern and Western values could redefine global governance amid declining liberalism.