This article compares Russian President Vladimir Putin to effective business executives, studying his performance through the same lenses used to assess CEOs of large corporations, and reviewing the degree to which his various constituencies are satisfied with his performance.

This article also clarifies the peculiar psychological interplay between leaders and their followers and explores the potentially collusive group dynamics between leaders and led. Through its clinical orientation, this article also extends more traditional studies of leadership by studying the "inner theater" of leaders-that is, highlighting significant episodes in leaders' lives that influence their leadership style.

Furthermore, the article touches on the significance of the historical moment-the interplay between personality and an important period in a country's history. The article ends by making a number of speculations on what kind of leader the Russian Federation needs to bring it to the next phase of its development.