Critical Analysis of Power, Ambition, Glory Essay examples

From the vantage point of the present, it is easy to look back at the tenure of any great leader and draw conclusions about just what it was that made him/her great. We can examine the circumstances under which their leadership flourished; piece together what we know of their character and personality traits; delve into the factors that may have driven them; and dissect their leadership style all in an effort to pinpoint the source of their success. The ‘Great Man’ theory, popular in the 19th century and now thoroughly debunked, held that leaders are born, not made; suggesting that men like George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., and Winston Churchill were born with the innate capacity to change the world (Landis,

Cyrus the Great and King Ashoka were successful rulers because they both developed laws to protect their kingdom, valued their citizen’s rights and religions, and had a strong military. While they both had a thriving empire, they developed them in different ways. In order to be a good ruler, he must be liked by your subjects. Cyrus the Great as well as King Ashoka had strong leadership skills that enabled them to lead their people with confidence and power. They both wanted their kingdom to grow continuously. Historians today often refer to Cyrus the Great and King Ashoka as the most powerful rulers of their time.

The ancient civilizations had very different ways of running their empires throughout their time. The Persians and Greeks held very true to this statement. They both had different sources that contributed to the power they held. The Persians had a very large empire and had a specific way of controlling it. First lets see how the Persians came to be. Cyrus, the son of the Assyrian king, was supposed to be killed as a baby. He was instead taken to a village that soon became called Persia. As Cyrus matured, the people could tell he had the characteristics of a king. He soon became just that. He didn’t want to be just a ruler though, he wanted to be different. His tactics were based on mercy, forgiveness, and compassion. Cyrus did go to war still

Throughout the millennia that humans have been forming societies with leaders, there have been many different kinds of leaders, some effective and others not. Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar shows examples of leaders who prevailed over time and leaders who didn’t. This information combined with knowledge of other past leaders can be used to establish common traits among effective leaders and common traits among ineffective leaders. Although Joseph Stalin is primarily considered a cruel tyrant, he also exhibits several of the leadership traits deemed most effective. While most can agree that his practices were immoral, it is often forgotten that due to his organization, practicality, and determination, Stalin was a decidedly effective leader.

Cyrus II of Persia, also known as Cyrus the Great, was one of the most influential and powerful rulers in the Ancient World.¹ By overthrowing the Assyrian empire, he was able to start the Persian Empire. Through his superior diplomacy skills within his empire, to his genius war tactics, he built the foundation for a line of Persian Kings to rule one of the largest empires in world history.

Cyrus, typically known as Cyrus the Great, was the king of the Persians that lived from 576 to 530 B.C. He became the king of the Persians in 559 B.C. and reigned until 530 B.C. During this time, people were fighting for power and control of the Fertile Crescent and of Asia Minor. Cyrus was mainly known for his large respect and tolerance to other religions and his highly peaceful actions to people he conquered. He was also known for being one of the few people able to control and hold control one of the biggest empires, even after death.

What is leadership, and how do we attain the best and most effective leaders? These are questions that are as old as civilization itself. Bass (1974) wrote that, “from its infancy, the study of history has been the study of leaders” (as cited in Wren, 1995, p. 50). Since the study of history in the West is commonly held to begin with Herodotus of ancient Athens, it is not surprising that we should examine the historical views of leadership through the eyes of two titans of Greek thought: Plato and Aristotle.

Cyrus the Great became ruler of the Persians because he did not want to be controlled by the meads and along with his nomadic warriors, he overtook them. Previously, the Medes had an Iranian religion of whom the Magi were like the priests of Persia and with their great architectural knowledge, they build fire temples which were used by the Magi to perform ceremonies & rituals. This religion derived from magic and astrology, principles of dualism (good & Evil) and resurrection. This religion is one of the causes for which Cyrus the great, rebelled against the Medes. With his army, he conquered most of Asia and remained in power because of the type of ruler that he was. Cyrus allowed the people to keep their customs and practice their own religions, worship their own gods and carry their separate rituals,

As a growing debate, the question at hand is whether great leaders are born with specific leadership traits, or if one can be taught certain traits over time. According to (Wikipedia.com) the approach of listing leadership qualities, often termed "trait theory of leadership", assumes certain traits or characteristics will tend to lead to effective leadership. I believe that leadership traits such as honest, competent, initiative, inspiring, hardworking, intelligent, and the ability to lead the masses, are some of the leadership traits one should possess. Within this paper, I will examine the overall concept of leadership traits, while observing the traits that were, or can be associated with successful leaders.

At the beginning of the play Macbeth is seen as a courageous soldier who is loyal to the King but is corrupted from the witches prophecies and by his and Lady Macbeth’s ambition. Their marriage is of convenience for Lady Macbeth, but for Macbeth it is more than that. He loves his wife, and she takes advantage of that. She is continuously making him feel guilty, for being weak, and challenges his manhood, with these words "When you durst do it, then you were a man, and, to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man." (I,vi,50-52), which means, Be a man, and I will love you as one.

The purpose and the intent of this paper are to compare and contrast the leadership styles and scope of influence of two historical leaders. This paper will capture what made this historical leader effective looking at these points of interest one) Integrity, two) Knowledge, three) Sincerity of purpose and four) Care for others. This paper will also view how the historical leader influenced the lives of others in a positive or negative way. How will or has this leader been remembered in history? In my personal opinion would I consider this leader a servant-leader and how did these leaders use their communication skills gain the support for their ideas doing the time of leading others. It is the hope that the reader will be able to make a

Some of the most brilliant minds have made many unorthodox suggestions. This is the case with Sidney Mintz’s thesis in Sweetness and Power: The Place of Modern History. Mintz’s suggestions that industrial capitalism originated in the Caribbean sugar plantations may seem to contradict the European version of world history fed to most of the Western world, but is nevertheless supported by substantial evidence. In general, Western education has conditioned students to believe that everything productive originated in Europe.

As Warren Bennis, Founding Chairman of The Leadership Institute at the University of Southern California, once said, “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” This can be interpreted to mean that one can be classified as a leader if he or she can put a plan into action. A leader is often like a visionary, and forward thinkers are needed in society. A visionary has a vivid imagination who makes dreams come true. They provide a backbone in society, helping to plan what is to come in the future that would be most beneficial. Without a leader that has the qualities of a visionary, no civilization has a bright future. Julius Caesar, Roman general-turned-ruler, was a historical visionary who fit Warren Bennis’ description of a leader. Possibly one of the most well-known Roman figures, Caesar extensively pushed Rome to one of its best eras, despite Caesar himself having a bit of a dark side. Even though Caesar seized power in the Roman Empire and named himself “Dictator For Life,” Julius Caesar was a great leader. He helped to expand the empire into France, as well as glorifying Rome through architectural projects and reforms. Overall, ?

The king of kings Alexander the Great and Gaius Julius Caesar are considered to this day as some of the most influential rulers and military generals in history. While there’s a distinct difference between their journey to power and background, it’s undeniable that the two leaders share many similar characteristics and the infamous ambition both possess that drives them almost to the brink of obsession in order to achieve their individual goals.

Adolf Hitler was one of the 20th century's most powerful dictators. He was responsible for World War II and the death of millions. Hitler saw a nation in despair and used this as an opportunity to gain political power. He saw a nation of unemployed and hungry citizens and promised them economic prosperity in return for absolute power. Someone once said "The Nazis rose to power on the empty stomachs of the German people".