Managing the Legacy of Long-Term Leaders: The Curious Evolution of Leadership Styles in the German Chancellery

Abstract

ABSTRACT Long-term leaders tend to cast long shadows that give their successors a hard time. This article puts forward an argument that assesses the nature of those challenges and the different ways of dealing with them, with a focus on incumbents’ leadership styles. At its core, the article looks into the historical evolution of the German chancellorship, which has been marked by three extended incumbencies (Konrad Adenauer, Helmut Kohl and Angela Merkel). The key focus of this comparative assessment is, however, on their strikingly different successors – Ludwig Erhard, Gerhard Schröder and Olaf Scholz. While Erhard and Schröder tried to break free from their predecessors’ legacy, Olaf Scholz went out of his way to present himself as ‘another Merkel’, if more in terms of leadership style than policy. The three case studies suggest that successions tend to involve a strategic element, yet incoming leaders are not entirely free to invent a role for themselves. While they face particular expectations, they have to remain true to their personality and adopt a leadership style that does not damage their authenticity. This is a formidable task, as their predecessors’ legacies that shape their own perceived performance are not static but evolve over time.