Leadership In his Pulitzer Prize winning biography, His Excellency George Washington, Joseph J. Ellis presents a balanced and comprehensive portrait on the nation's first president that steers a course between hero-worship and debunking. He based his work on the latest edition of the Washington papers, which now include virtually every scrap of written information available except for his last three years as commander of the Continental Army and the second presidential term in 1793-97. For many modern readers, Washington comes across as a cold, distant, patriarchal figure, an iconic face on Mount Rushmore or the dollar bill, but not exactly a people's president like Abraham Lincoln. At the opposite extreme, Leftist and revisionist writers regard him as the creator of a nation that "was imperialistic, racist, elitist, and patriarchal," and prefer to write social history about women, slaves and common soldiers rather than the dead, white male ruling class (Ellis, p. xii). Unlike previous biographers such as Douglas Southall Freeman and James Thomas Flexner, contemporary historians have "a keen sense of the intellectual and emotional ingredients that came together to create a revolutionary ideology in colonial America" and "a more robust understanding of the social and economic forces that drove Virginia's planter class toward rebellion," such as its interest in Western lands (Ellis, p. xiii). Recent scholarship has also paid far more attention to slavery and the treatment of Native Americans, both of which preoccupied Washington throughout his life as a slaveholder, president, military commander and speculator in western lands. Indeed, for Washington, Alexander Hamilton's plans for using a strong central government to industrialize the United States seemed like the best solution for a variety of national problems, including slavery. Reviewers generally rated the Ellis biography favorably, calling it a "penetrating portrait and synthesis of Washington's lengthy and complex career" (Wesiberger...
Leaders Born or Made? Proposed Outline The question as to whether leaders are born or made has been actively debated for years. The debate continues. However, careful evaluation of leadership behaviors and an informed analysis of literature on management and leadership demonstrate that actually, leaders are both born and made. It is important to note that although individuals could be trained to be effective leaders, some people tend to have
Leaders and History Having a leadership position and being a leader are not the same thing, even though many people believe it is. Being appointed to a leadership role is entirely dependent upon circumstances; being a leader is an innate quality that moves beyond the tactical and into the strategic, allows those with greatness to rise to the occasion, and often results in drastic changes in society and culture. We can
There are research studies about knowledge management and local knowledge which the present research must take into consideration. However, judging from the information which is available online, it is safe to say that this is a research area which still needs to be worked upon. The studies which already exist are limited to describing local needs in small communities through the world and the manner in which leaders of
Leadership: Born vs. Taught Leaders Born vs. Taught Leaders: Leadership Experts have given conflicting views in the question of whether leaders are born or made. One faction believes that leaders are born with special qualities that predispose them to occupy positions of authority from an early age. The other, however, believes that leadership capabilities are developed over time through education and training. This text evaluates both arguments and gives a tentative position
Conclusion It is difficult to show which theory works best in practice, as every company has a unique environment and workforce (Daft, 2004). However, few would argue that Theory X is an outdated leadership style that does not promote success. According to Kopelman et al. (2008): "At the heart of McGregor's argument is the notion that managers' assumptions/attitudes represent, potentially, self-fulfilling prophecies. The manager who believes that people are inherently lazy
Sun Tzu informs that we cannot punish people until they feel loyalty to us: namely, until they consider themselves members of our group. 10. Keep them guessing This quality may be pertinent only to leaders of a business / corporation. Her Sun Tzu advises keeping one's strategies and plans concealed from one's competitor so that one retains competitive advantage. III. Conclusion The Art of War, maintains Sun Tzu, is "a matter of life
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