The great man theory - Assignment Example

? The great man theory affiliation The great man theory The concept of leadership has had massive debates over the years.Various analysts and researchers have given varying views on their perception of a good leader and who is not. In order to come up with the best definitions, various theories were put in place. Leadership is not only about skill achievement but also the involvement of one’s talent. A leader is usually characterized by great decisions or quotes which tend to give them the description of a good leader. In leadership, some traits may be learned and acquired while some traits need some special character or talent to acquire them (Hirsch, 2002). Leaders are also given descriptions in their way of management. Management involves the making of decisions for the people or a group of people under the leader. Effective management portrays the ability of leaders after their tenure or their death. The argument of leadership skills is still with no solution, are great leaders born or raised? The great man theory puts it clear that a great leader is God given not man-made. It only provides two options; either one is born as leader or one is not born a leader. The history of the great man theory dates back to the 19th century, when great leaders seen at that time were in born heroes, for instance Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi and Alexander the Great. The theory had also focused on the highly quested positions in the army which were hereditary from father to son. This also led to the name, great man theory since no women were holding commanding positions. In the 1800s, military authoritative positions would paint the leadership skills of a man. With the assumption that the skills are inborn, the son of the leader was to take over since it was believed they had the same skills as their fathers. Thomas Carlyle, a Scottish writer, is credited for his move to popularize the theory in the 1840s. According to Thomas Carlyle, the history of the world is nothing, but a bibliography of great men. He also believed that great leaders are those born with divine inspiration and proper characteristics to lead a group of people. The theory simply tends to separate leaders and followers. It gives the assumption that leaders differed from their followers. The theory portrays the fact that, in society different people posses different levels of intelligence, energy and moral strength, and in whatever way people are influenced to go, they are always led by the superior minded few (Miller, Vandome & McBrewster, 2010). Back in the days, many leaders had the opportunity of having a chance of leadership through the birthright. This hindered the lesser in society in having the opportunity to be leaders. This brought up the assumption that leadership abilities are inherent. Proponents of this theory comprise of the world great leaders who came into power due to situational causes, for instance, John F Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Lee Lacocca. In another concept, a great leader always steps up regardless of their social status or location. A person with inborn leadership qualities will effect positive change in every place he or she goes. A person may not be a holder of an authoritative post but influences great masses to any direction he or she wishes. In deed, this is a description of a born leader according to the great man theory. Applications of this theory are visible in modern day management. Apart from government organizations, private company owners prefer to hand over their businesses to their sons after their retirement. They believe the leadership skills in them have been passed on to their sons. With this, one is able to see the long life of an organization, which has been led by one family for over 40 years. In some cases, the application of the inherent leadership posts may be difficult for offsprings but situational purposes make the shoes fit for them. Another application may be evident in contesting of parliamentary or presidential posts. In many instances, it has been evident that many presidential hopefuls get their urge and inspiration from their parent, who held the post at a particular time. They believe that what a parent has must be a part of them. The general public also seems to understand and embrace them. If a persons’ father was a great leader, the probability of their election to leadership positions is very high. In contemporary management enterprise, owners tend to look for talent instead of ability. A manager’s talent is based upon on his successes and the way he did it. If a company has on its hands a God gifted manager, they offer everything to him, since they know there are few high degree minded individuals in society. In business, organizations need a leader, not a follower. A person with the ability of creation-not a person with the ability of improving previous done innovations- is a rare finding in society. In this theory, there are some strengths and weaknesses. Weaknesses range from over expectations and overrating an individual in society. The great man theory gives the assumption that leadership traits are inherent. This makes people in society put their hopes on the offsprings of great leaders, which in some cases may be a disaster. Not only may it be a false assumption, but also may lock out other great leaders in society. The theory also locks out the possibility of learning and acquiring leadership skills. It may be a fact that, leadership is inborn, but it is also a fact that acquiring education or leadership skills is compulsory. We are all born equal minded but there are talented brains which must acquire knowledge through learning. The strength of this theory is mainly the nurturing of an existing talent in leadership. A family of great leaders tends to stay in the same circle since; all children in the lineage will be taught the skills of good leadership. In this particular family for instance, every child is a potential leader. From a tender age, they are exposed to all qualities of great leadership. Consequently, this enables their minds grow to that special level. At an older age, the child will start to exhibit traits of a good leader. In the case where a child is not born with the skill but believed to have the skill, great leadership is also created out of nothing. Advancements of skills and knowledge in the management field are important. In social services organizations, there are numerous emerging issues which consequently need to be addressed. Social services management is demanding since one has to deal with numerous and different issues on a daily basis. Managers in the field are highly recommended upgrading their skills in order to make logical decisions in tackling the issues. The application of learning and acquiring knowledge is applicable mainly when it comes to the use of technology. Modern day society has seen an incline in the use of technology which managers are supposed to learn about so as to make decisions favorably. Social services management requires the understanding of trends and characters. This may be difficult if strong emerging issues are neglected. An update one’s skills and knowledge on the job is highly recommended. This theory impacts greatly in my life as a leader. With the assumption that great leaders are born, acquiring the skills of great leadership may as well make me a great leader. The ability of becoming a great leader is shaped with the assumption that one is born a great leader. This gives one the opportunity to nurture these assumptions and acquire the great leadership skills. In my personal life, the abilities of leadership enables me make responsible decisions for my own sake and for the people around me. Socially, the impact of one becoming a leader is greatly influenced by the belief that one is born is a leader. After acquiring the required skills, self confidence builds and boosts the chances of leadership. Professionally, leadership skills are first acquired through education then there is the fusion of talent which brings out the character of a great leader (Stanfiel, 2009). Some people may have profession confidence if one’s parents had profession careers in certain fields. This leads to the assumption that one has what it takes to have the same professional career. The history of great leaders usually translates that; these leaders had come into the world with a strange genetic gift, that in a way their future leadership responsibility was fated. I tend to disagree with this assumption. The fact is that, major abilities and competencies of leadership can be educated, and that we all have the ability to learn, at least if the essential want to learn is still in existence. No individual has indicated suffering from learning disorders (Hendrick, 2010). In addition, no matter what natural endowments we offer to the position of leadership, they can be improved; nurturing is much more significant than nature in shaping who becomes a great leader. References Hendrick, W. (2010). It All Begins with Self: How to Become a More Effective and Happier You. New York: American Book Publishing. Hirsch, E.D. (2002). The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy (Third Edition). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Miller, P., Vandome, F.& McBrewster, J.(2010). Great Man Theory. New York: VDM Verlag Dr. Mueller Publishers. Stanfiel, W. (2009). Defining Effective Leadership: Lead in Whatever You Do. Oklahoma: Tate Publishing. Read More