Week Three

Week Three: Great Man and Trait Theories

          The Great Man Theory is a very broad and basic conception that puts the characteristics of a leader under a stereotype. According to this theory a great leader is born from a wealthy, royal family. A leader is a heroic, political figure that emerges in the time of great need. This kind of leader only really exists in fairy tales, because in real life great leaders come from a variety of backgrounds. While fairy tales and stories from our childhood greatly influence what we believe a true hero or leader must be, in reality a leader is not born. The type of leader the Great Man Theory refers to is a hero such King Arthur and Hercules. While King Arthur did exist, he was not born into his position of power. Alexander the Great may have been born into his leadership role because of his father’s legacy, but he had tutors and teachers to show him the way. One part of this theory I can relate to is that sometimes in times of need a leader does have to arise. In my case I have had to take on a role of authority when working in groups or situations where there is no order. I cannot say I was a great leader, but I took charge of the situation because a leader was needed and usually the work got done in a timely manner.

          The trait theory states that are certain desired traits a great leader should possess, while it has been greatly disputed whether or not these traits make someone a good leader. One thing that really stood out from the research is that leaders in one situation may not necessarily leaders in another situation. For example, the character traits Rosa Parks possessed may not have been enough to help her win over Nazi Germany the way Adolf Hitler was able to. The same with the latter, Hitler’s traits would not have sufficient or appropriate to lead a civil rights movement. I can see this as true in my life because the way I take charge with my students at work may not be the right way in going about with people my own age. Especially if my peers are older than me and do not need the same voice of authority to get their work done as my students do. One more thing I noticed was that the five major leadership traits actually are important in being an effective leader. A leader should have the same IQ as their followers so they can understand them. A leader needs to be confident in their decisions if they want them backed up by the people. A leader should be determined and keep fighting to get things done. A leader should have integrity and a set of principles if they want to be respected by their followers. Lastly a leader should be sociable and able to communicate with the people. If my students didn’t respect me and couldn’t feel comfortable with me, they would not listen to me.