Question

Make connections: Who would you consider a great leader? (pick someone in history) What makes them leader?

Answer 1

The scientific concept or theory behind great leadership is the "trait theory of leadership". This theory proposes that individuals are born with certain traits that help them to become leaders, such as intelligence, charisma, problem-solving skills, and ambition.

One example of this concept is exemplified by the ancient Greek leader Alexander the Great. Alexander was highly intelligent, ambitious, and triumphant in achieving his goals. He was also able to build and motivate a strong team and continuously learned from his experiences. His passion and determination to succeed motivations, as well as his ability to always come up with a solution in difficult situations, made him an admirable leader.

This same principle can be applied in today's workforce. For example, employees often look for leaders who are passionate about the company's mission, have excellent problem-solving skills, are able to motivate their teams, and are confident in their decisions. Such traits enable leaders to foster trust and loyalty from their employees, which is essential for any organization to experience success.

In conclusion, the trait theory of leadership proposes that individuals possess certain traits that enable them to be successful leaders. Alexander the Great is a historical example of this concept, and it can still be applied today in the modern workplace.

Answer 2

In October 1944 Patton defined leadership as a capacity for “telling somebody who thinks he is beaten that he is not beaten.” As wars are won by the victor of the last battle, the capacity for inspiring the losers of the penultimate battle is key. Here, the sheer doggedness of George Washington stands out supreme, alongside that of Churchill in 1940. Aside from the evacuation from Brooklyn across the East River in August 1776—where a weird combination of low mist and adverse wind direction somehow prevented the Royal Navy from scooping up a force that was down to only nine thousand—Washington enjoyed few successes in 1775 and 1776. As Churchill said of Dunkirk, “Wars are not won by evacuations,” but, also like Dunkirk, the sheer fact of survival and escape was in itself a victory for the American revolutionaries. Simply surviving the hardships of Valley Forge through the winter kept the cause alive and could not have been achieved without George Washington’s shining leadership by personal example. What Liddell Hart was to call “mental initiative and strong personality, or determination” was personified by Washington in that freezing winter of 1776–77, and in all the other leaders in this book. Except through heredity, one does not become a leader in the first place unless one has a strong personality.