The Classic Greek Discourse On Leadership Essay

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,

Thucydides offered the correct leadership style of Pericles by arguing that Pericles ‘was not carried away by the people, but he was the one guiding the people.’ The evidence, as said in the last paragraph is in his great speeches and his ability to draw a certain reaction from the Athenian people and so though some may argue that he left the Athenians with no authoritative leader which could only be gained

Having leadership qualities means having charisma, resolves and protecting your citizens from any aspects that can come to harm them. The playwright portrays Oedipus as the King who cares for his people above all else and Kreon as a royalty, who attends only to hedonic lifestyle.

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.

A leader is someone that you look up to. Someone that dramatically impacts your country or state by making good decisions and keeping the city contained. The leader is so important that without them the city will go into a lapse. A great example of what happens to a city with a leader missing in action would be Ithaca. Ithaca’s leader was Odysseus. When Odysseus leaves the island to go fight in war he doesn’t return for seventeen years. In that long amount of time Ithaca turns into a corrupt society where many have forgotten their responsibilities. Not only had Ithaca change but his family as well as a result of what was happening during Odysseus’ voyage.

“God mixed gold in the composition of those of you who are qualified to govern; in those fitted to be guardians he mixed silver; and in the farmers and artisans he mixed baser metals” (Plato 1). Philosopher and author of The Republic, Plato classified men and women based on three categories. These categories were separated by working classes--workers were in the baser metal category, soldier-guardians were in the silver category, and the elite philosopher-rulers were in the gold category. Also, Plato stated that to be a man of gold, one must possess the traits of wisdom, courage, and self-control. Pericles, a vital factor in Athenian’s success during the beginning of the Peloponnesian War, was placed into said gold category due to his ability to lead and possession of these traits. Furthermore, Plato declared that when a city was under the leadership of one in the baser metal category, the city would decline. Creon, an unsuccessful ruler, would fit into the baser metal category as Thebes of Ancient Greece perished under his command. Plato’s definition of a just leader, one who exhibits the traits of wisdom, courage, and self-control, did wholly apply to Pericles, whereas Creon did not have the traits of wisdom and self-control, although possessing the trait of courage.

Insert fantastic hook here.> In The Odyssey, an epic poem written by the ancient Greek poet known as Homer, the story of Odysseus’, king of Ithaca and the conqueror of Troy, journey home. This journey takes ten years and in those years Odysseus has many more adventures and mishaps. Throughout these happenings, Odysseus is called a hero, a title that he does not deserve. Odysseus shows qualities such as abysmal leadership abilities, courage to the point of hubris and loyalty to his home, but not to his family.

“Ultimately, leadership is not about glorious crowning acts. It’s about keeping your team focused on a goal and motivated to do their best to achieve it, especially when the stakes are high and the consequences really matter. It is about laying the groundwork for others’ success, and then standing back and letting them shine.” -Chris Hadfield Being a leader consists of honesty, integrity and respect, yet Odysseus struggles to show these skills. There are many examples to prove that Odysseus is not an effective leader. Even though Odysseus returns to Ithaca, he showed poor leadership skills on his journey. Odysseus is not an strong leader because he is secretive with his men, he is very careless, and he is very gullible.

Who is a hero? (A depiction of the idea of chivalry and how being leader has changed over the course of time.) People look at the world and search for an idea known as chivalry. Individuals want to know that there are people who are loyal, honest, brave, and honorable and had manners.

Throughout history, humanity has been under the influence of a variety of different leaders: moral, tyrannical, weak, and strong. Yet, while reflecting on the past, we seldomly ever call a leader a truly “good leader.” A major reason for the scarcity of this title is that we simply cannot agree upon what characterizes as a “good leader.” Is a “good leader” suppose to be perfect? Left-brained? Merciful? We have such a hard time answering this simple question because, we, as humans are complex beings. We cannot simply classify anyone as “good” or “bad” because humans are not consistent in their behaviors; there will always be exceptions to whatever argument we make. Yet, there are and can be “good leaders”, although we may a hard time defining what one may be. For the sake of objectivity , let us look at a simpler leader who has only few clear

The objective of this study is to discuss why considerations of moral and ideal leadership, as they have been treated across much of Western history in the Wren text are important to understanding of leadership today, and more specifically, to one's own leadership practice. Toward this end this study will examine the work of J. Thomas Wren entitled "Traditional Classics on Leadership".

Throughout history, there has been numerous accounts of great leadership. Whether its political or social leadership, each man or woman has his or her own unique set of characteristics that makes them great. Frequently they leave a legacy which is observed meticulously in order to understand the traits which corresponded to great leadership and its accomplishments. What is less often accounted for is the failure a leader experience during their time lifetime. Failed leadership in history and literature provides examples of how some of the greatest figure to ever exist become oblivious to the wake of destruction that they leave behind. Odysseus, Oedipus and Hamlet each have a fatal task to accomplish throughout their individual stories’. While each man shows characteristics of wisdom, critical thinking and hold some position of royalty, these traits are not enough to save them from the destructive trail they leave behind.

Leadership started to appear for the first time in the neolithic era. It is actually a skill that not everyone have. After reading Discovering the Global Past by Merry Wiesner, I was enlightened and started to have a sense of what is it to be a good leader. Someone who cares about his people, someone who actually puts laws and regulations to the good of his people. This essay will discuss the differences and finds out who is the best between two leaders, emperor Claudius and Shao Xinchen.

Leadership many times can be misinterpreted by many individuals. Leadership is an ability that not everyone is meant to have nor develop. In fact, many can be called, “leaders” but that does not imply that their leadership role plays a positive impact on others. At times, some people seek leadership in a form to only obtain power and abuse it for their own self-interest. While there are others that create great influences to following generations. For instance, there are those like Plato and Thomas Jefferson who have established philosophical thoughts that for past centuries, have revolutionized many people’s ideals. Through their principles many people have identified, what they consider can exemplify, true characteristics that make someone have successful leadership qualities. In their own way, they have influenced others, with the purpose to communicate a foundation of important ideals which have helped guide many. Whether it is one or a group of individuals. Many people should consider in practicing and adapting to those philosophical principles, manifested in Plato’s, “The Allegory of the Cave” and Thomas Jefferson's, “The Declaration of Independence” essay who illustrate certain ideals and aspects of leadership in their own unique way.

“The Great Person Theory” has been a subject of controversy and many historians have various views on it. There is a Scottish writer, Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881), who supports a quote: “The history of the world is but the biography of great men”. A British historian, Arnold Toynbee (1889-1975), believed that the Great Person Theory should be more about someone’s birth, economic status, and intellectual. I agree with the quote that Thomas Carlyle supports that the Great Person Theory should be based on the role and influences that the person had upon societies. It should be more than just having that power passed on; it’s about what they’ve done and how successful that person was as a leader.