Historical Conceptions of
Leadership
Outline
• Overview of Historical Views Readings
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Carlyle
Tolstoy
Plato
Aristotle
Machiavelli
Lao-Tzu
Gandhi
Du Bois
• Continua exercise
• Assignment 2
Carlyle
• The leader, ‘King’, is everything
• Once selected, the ‘Able-man’
should rule
• Individuals must be subordinated
to him
• Leader should pursue policies in
his infinite wisdom
Tolstoy
• Great events in history are not the direct
result of ‘Great Men’
• Historical events are determined by infinite
number of discrete actions by individuals
• Although leaders are most visible, their
actions are dependent on others’ actions
• A King is History’s Slave: To explain events in
terms of great men is merely a convenience
Plato
• Democracy is not an ideal state:
– Democracy yields freedom, which leads to license and anarchy.
– Trying to restore order, a tyrant is born
• Solution:
– Select & train philosophers who will be ideal leaders
– Followers must defer to these leaders
Aristotle
• Leaders do not represent a superior class
• Leaders should be those who have
attained sufficient age and wisdom
• Leaders should mentor young people to
take over when they get older
• Goal of leaders should be to attain the
‘perfect life’ for their society
Machiavelli
• A ‘Prince’ should appear to have the qualities of
mercy, good faith, integrity, and religion.
• However, a leader should be willing to act to the
contrary
• Criterion of success is maintaining authority
• Leaders must focus on results
• Leaders should deceive followers if needed to meet
desired goals
“The wicked leader is he who people
despise. The good leader is he who
people revere. The great leader is he
who the people say we did it ourselves”
– Lao Tzu
Lao Tzu
• A leader should be selfless and should serve her/his
followers
• Leader should be supportive, act as mediator, and
facilitate the group’s efforts
• Midwife metaphor:
– Helps the mother but acknowledges mother should get
credit for giving birth
Gandhi
Gandhi
• Satyagraha: Truth-force
• Proper approach to social change was nonviolent, passive resistance
• Traditional leaders unimportant- could only lead
if masses permitted it
• Satyagrahi: a leader who must mobilize public
opinion against the evil
• Passive resistance demands considerable courage
Du Bois
• Addressed the majority White population attempting to
bring respect/equality to Blacks.
• Leaders would inevitably arise in Black population
• It behooves all to train/educate these leaders
• Whites must support Black colleges and respected
elders who train the leaders
Leadership Continua
• Your task:
• Label both the continuum and the end-points
Carlyle and Tolstoy
Continuum label here
Carlyle
Tolstoy
Endpoint here
Endpoint here
Carlyle and Tolstoy
Importance of Leader
Carlyle
Leader as key figure
Tolstoy
Leader as pawn of history
Develop continua for:
• Plato and Aristotle
• Machiavelli and Lao-Tzu
• Gandhi and Du Bois
Plato and Aristotle
Source of Leadership
Plato
Elite cadre
Aristotle
Drawn from masses
Plato and Aristotle
Relationship with Followers
Plato
Hierarchical
Aristotle
Mentor/mentee
Machiavelli and Lao-Tzu
Leadership “Style”
Machiavelli
Leader as forceful
Lao-Tzu
Leader as enabler
Machiavelli and Lao-Tzu
Leadership Focus
Machiavelli
Leader’s objectives
Lao-Tzu
Follower’s objectives
Gandhi and Du Bois
Source of Leadership
Gandhi
Individual commitment
Du Bois
Elite cadre