Motives of Power as the Basis for Communication and Image of a Political Leader

The article is devoted to the study of the influence of motives of power on the formation of the image of a political leader and his communication with the society. The core of the study is the lack of an adequate tool for analyzing the motives of power and a tool for analyzing the compliance of motives of power with the demand of citizens and the political situation. The authors analyze the internal factors that determine the behavior of leaders, as well as the role of motives of power in the process of their communication with society and in their perception by society. The importance of targeted management of the image of political leaders in the current political situation is emphasized, where, according to the authors, a significant aspect is the identification and emphasis of certain motives of power and their compliance with the demand of citizens and the political situation. The authors note that in modern political conditions successful management of the leader’s image requires conscious cultivation of certain motives of power. Using the methods of social psychoanalysis the authors develop and represent the tools that allow, with the help of experts or self-diagnosis of the candidate (1) to identify the dominant motives of power in the structure of the personality, which can be used to form a positive public opinion and increase the effectiveness of political communication, (2) to assess the conformity of the motives of power of the personality with the motives of power that are requested by citizens and the political situation.