The Great Men Theory

The Great Men Theory of Leadership

Maxine Jones Shorter University

Dr. Amy Savage-Austin Management Theory and Practice MGMT 3300 June 15,2011

The Great Man Theory of Leadership

2 During this time of bad economy and process of elimination, we need good, strong leadership. In todays society we need someone with energy, who can energize others, and who has edge. Why is it that some organizations will grow and some will not, maybe it is because of its leadership. Some people are believed to born with the right characteristics to become leaders. All leaders have a different skill set, some will think outside the box and some will just go to the edge. According to the Great Man Theory in the 19th century, these were men of influence, intelligence, wisdom, and power. Some people believed back then that men were born of these characteristics or became better after handling issues as they were leaders. These great men used their power to impact history. The Great Man Theory was about how these great men had masculinity, dominance and conservatism. These great men were known as heroes and they are sincere in what he thinks and what he does(Covert,2004). A hero is someone that is admired by many, and has strong tendencies, but is self-disciplined. When a man has vision, he has courage and determination to make the process work. When we think of leaders today, we think of President Obama, Jack Welch, Bill Gates, and former President Carter to name a few great men. All of these great men had dreams or visions and did not let anything get in their way to achieving their goal.

When learning about the male role models in the 19th century, we know that women had no rights and men were seen as leaders in the home. Back then ancient men were described as masculine men of vigor, strength, power, and righteous believer. They were highly respected and known through out the land. The so called heroes were men that revealed qualities that inspired respect, like wisdom, and courage. They knew of things that other men did not know and took risks that other men would not dare take. Heroes shape history through personal

3 attributes and divine inspirations. Men were characterized to be their own man and being domineering.

In todays society great men not only lead by example, but they also should have a good relationship with employees, It is not what you do, but how you do it that makes employees trust their leaders. A workplace should consist of trust, pride, and camaraderie must exist to provide a strong working relationship. Are we really born natural leaders? This is just a myth. Some people will say people are born to lead. Leaders today has to go beyond sitting at the desk and giving instructions. They need to have emotional strengths and behavioral characteristics. Leaders today will have a vision and will make employees passionate about their work ethics. To transform a company, you will have to articulate your ideas so that the people will buy into it.

During the 19th century men were dominant and their attributes would last beyond their time in life. These men were said to have different degrees of intelligence and influence (Bass,1987). These men would love and protect their families but they sacrifice time with their families to become great men. Women were to stay at home and do as they were told, they were not suppose to think and be heard. Now todays woman can say and do as she please, and bring value to the home. Women can become corporate leaders and have a family. An effective leader will not fight change, but see it as an opportunity. He will also have a flexible and competitive company. If we put more value in people and provide the educational investment for them to learn and teach others we will gain in customer service, revenue and our image will be good. A leaders behavior is critical to the organization. The myth is that leaders are born, they will transform the organization with new ideas and bring out the best in their employees. They will invest in education for their employees and lead by example. If honesty and integrity are invested

4 in a person that will show in their communication, and actions with others. When a leader can motivate, trust, and inspire others to common goals, he/she will be a success. When leaders value themselves, they will value others. In this new cultural world, there is a need for a leaders that can communicate well and be exposed to other cultures beliefs and customs.

Reference:

Bass, b. (1987). Bass & stogdill's book of leadership. New York: The Free Press McMillian, Inc.

Covert, b. (2004). Masculinity in thomas carlyle's on heroes, hero-worship and the heroic in history. The Victorian Web, 156, 1-3.

Maxine, Your paper provided insight into the Great Man Theory. Minor issues were noted with APA. Attention to paragraph structure, grammar, and mechanics would be beneficial for future papers. Be sure to proof read and edit work before final submission.

Total points received were calculated as follows: Quality and Development of Purpose 17 Organization 16 Sentence structure and grammar 16 APA 16 Overall Assessment 16 Total points 81-.81*5=4.05/5.0

This world is upheld by honesty of good men and women. Now, men and women can dream dreams and become whatever they want to be. The Great Men Theory was good for that particular time period and had a historical impact. True leaders have a vision that will empower their employee, building trust, and focus on customers. The leadership should bring a change that will make a real difference. There have been some great men in the 21st century, and we have profit from their accomplishments. President Obama, is the first black president, Jack Welch, is known as one of the greatest Chief Executive Officer, Bill Gates, is known for his gifts to help students around the world, and former President Carter, for his gift of building homes for people in need. A leader will have drive, motivation, commitment, and good communication skills. We

7 have to keep in mind that there is a difference in a leader and leadership. A leader is someone that leads, but leadership is an activity and any person can exercise leadership.