Sources of Bases of Leadership - Essay Example

Among the two leaders, Saito used forceful tactics over Colonel Nicholson. In management studies, some autocratic leaders often think that they can get their orders through with force (Gardener, 2003). This is exactly the tactic that Saito employed over Nicholson when he slapped Nicholson with a copy of the Geneva Convention that Nicholson was criticizing. On the part of Nicholson, his tactics were that of logical intuition whereby he played on the logical reasoning of Saito when he refused release from the oven by Clipton.

The individual influence tactics used by the two leaders on their dependants were not different from what they used against themselves. Saito by all means stamped his authority through force whiles Nicholson was more gentle and logical with his dependants. Evidence of this was when Nicholson agreed to the building of the bridge on what could be described as humanitarian grounds than on leadership grounds. It is not surprising therefore that Nicholson had a simple aim of completing the bridge as an example of the ingenuity and hard work of his Army. As for Saito, all he was seeking to avoid was the looming seppuku.

On a personal ground, Saito wanted to avoid seppuku and on organizational grounds, he wanted to show his supremacy over his people. On the part of Colonel Nicholson, his personal goal was to exemplify the unique gift of creativity and hard work with which the British Army worked. This goal was set even though he was indeed working to favor the Japanese more than the British. On an organizational ground, his goal was to ensure evenness and allow the full rigors of the law to operate.

In leadership and management studies, leaders’ behaviors are influenced by the goals and vice versa. Leaders who want to be autocratic often have a hardened behavior that gives little room for other people to express themselves. The evidence of this was seen in the two leaders as Saito was more violent and wicked in behavior. For him to be able to slap Nicholson with a book and put him in an oven, was a behavior that was of importance to his goal of stamping his authority over his followers and winning their favor. Nicholson on the other hand was a more thoughtful person and this was important for his goal of ensuring all-inclusiveness through democratic dialogue with his people.

To a large extent, Nicholson achieved his personal goal because the completion of the project brought him so much joy and satisfaction. Saito, on the other hand, died painfully and this was a defeat of his personal goal of reining as a supreme.