When God Lifts the Veil: Transformational Leadership and Political Skills Model as Counters to Machiavellianism and Organizational Politics in the Los Angeles City Council

This paper examines how Machiavellianism and Organizational Political Behavior contribute to destructive organizational politics and applies Transformational Leadership Theory and the Political Skill Model as countervailing frameworks to the Dark Triad. Grounded in leadership and organizational behavior research, this theory-based conceptual paper provides a theory-driven analysis that synthesizes established models to explore how power and unethical governance erode public trust. This paper examines the relationship between leadership behavior and power dynamics in a contemporary political context. Rather than relying on empirical data collection, it draws on Transformational Leadership Theory, the Political Skills Model, the Dark Triad, Organizational Politics, and Organizational Political Behavior to evaluate leadership behavior in a politically charged environment. This paper argues that Transformational Leadership and the Political Skills Model are appropriate theoretical frameworks for addressing destructive political behavior associated with the Dark Triad. In addition, this paper contributes to the field of organizational leadership through its real-world applicability in a political context, thereby strengthening discussions on leadership.