Integrative Ideology for the Effective Development of the Russian State and the Problem of Leadership in Contemporary Society

The article discusses current issues of leadership in contemporary Russian society within the context of implementing an effective state (national) ideology of development. The author argues that Russia’s successful strategic development requires addressing two interconnected challenges: establishing a unifying ideological foundation and cultivating socially responsible leaders. The analysis focuses particularly on leadership characteristics and the role of leaders in emerging social and socio-political movements. Contemporary society is characterized as a complex interplay between formal institutional organizations and informal practices. Modern leaders must possess not only professional expertise but also meta-professional competencies, including empathic competence – the ability to understand and constructively leverage the emotional and spiritual dimensions of organizational life. A pressing challenge facing society is determining how to ensure that leaders of voluntary civic organizations act in socially responsible ways. National ideology plays a crucial role in addressing this challenge, and should be grounded in the civilizational characteristics of contemporary Russian society. This ideology must emerge as an integrative framework synthesizing the most significant ideological currents of recent decades and the present day. The author cautions against replacing national ideology with ideocratic ideology – a secular variant of theocratic state ideology. The power of integrative ideology derives not from rigidity but from its ability to maintain unity around strategic national objectives while accommodating the diverse situational features of development processes. The article concludes that integrative ideology can serve as the cornerstone for balancing competing societal and state interests, fostering the development of initiative-taking and socially responsible leaders, and enabling rapid socio-economic progress without undermining institutional stability.

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