Great Man Theory of Leadership(1840)
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January 7, 2020Great Man Theory of Leadership(1840)
Great Man Theory of Leadership(1840)
The Great Man theory evolved around the mid 19th century. Even though no one was able to identify withany scientific certainty, which human characteristic or combination of, were responsible for identifying great leaders. Everyone recognized that just as the name suggests; only a man could have the characteristic (s) of a great leader.Are some people born to lead? If we look at the great leaders of the past such as Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Queen Elizabeth I, and Abraham Lincoln, we will find that they do seem to differ from ordinary human beings in several aspects. The same applies to the contemporary leaders like George W. Bush and Mahatma Gandhi. They definitely possess high levels of ambition coupled with clearvisions of precisely where they want to go. These leaders are cited as naturally great leaders, born with a set of personal qualities that made them effective leaders. Even today, the belief that truly great leaders are born is common.Top executives, sports personalities, and even politicians often seem to possess an aura that sets them apart from others. According to the contemporary theorists, leaders are not like other people. They do not need to be intellectually genius or omniscient prophets to succeed, but they definitely should have the right stuff which is not equally present in all people. This orientation expresses an approach to the study of leadership known as the great man theory.
Assumptions
The leaders are born and not made and posses certain traits which were inherited
Great leaders can arise when there is a great need. Strengths and limitations of The Great Man Theory Strengths of The Great Man Theory has certain qualities like, persuasiveness, charm , demanding personality, increase amount of perception, courage, intellect, aggressiveness and be action orientated which skills that they cannot be taught or learned. Leadership characteristics are passed through the geneseither you have them or you do not. Examples are from great leaders such as, Abraham Lincoln, Kamal Ataturk, General de Gaulle, Mahatma Gandhi, Mao Tse Tung and others. These were leaders that were naturally born with qualities of leadership and accomplished greatness by marvelous plans. The Great Man theory does not have a scientific basis and experimental legitimacy. The theory is more of a provisional perception.The limitations of the Great Man Theory, apart from the unlikelihood of characteristics being passed through genes, is the ridiculous belief that some people become successful and great leaders based on their surrounding situations. Many new theorists and even by some leaders are rejecting The Great Man Theory.CriticismMany of the traits cited as being important to be an effective leader are typical masculine traits. In contemporary research, there is a significant shift in such a mentality.
