What is "leaderism"

The Russian political term leaderism (, vozhdism) means "a policy directed at the affirmation/confirmation of one person in the role of an indisputable or infallible leader". Vozhdism is widespread in totalitarian and authoritarian régimes. Manifestations of vozhdism include clientelism, nepotism, tribalism, and messianism.

Ancient Greek tyranny, as described in the Politics by Aristotle, represents an early form of leaderism. Forms of leaderism include Italian Fascism, Führerprinzip, Stalinism, Maoism, and Juche. According to Nikolai Berdyaev (1874-1948), Leninism represented a new type of leaderism, featuring a leader of masses having dictatorship powers. Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini attempted to imitate Vladimir Lenin, while Joseph Stalin as vozhd exemplifies an ultimate type of such a Supreme leader.

In communist phraseology the term "leaderism" occurs as a pejorative, in apposition to the officially proclaimed "principle of collective leadership".

Modern Russian authors often imply that the régimes of Mikheil Saakashvili, Islamic leaders or Vladimir Putin represent types of leaderist societies.