Northouse defines Authentic Leadership as the “focus on whether leadership is genuine and real” (Northouse, 2022, p.401). Yet, this definition indicates a vagueness in what behaviors truly describe an authentic leader. Even Northouse acknowledges that “Among leadership scholars, there is no single accepted definition of authentic leadership” (Northouse, 2022, p.402). However, that does not mean that they have not determined some behaviors of authentic leaders. Primarily what the public is looking for in an authentic leader is a leader that “they can trust and (…) who [is] honest and good” (Northouse, 2022, p.401). Looking at that statement then, authentic leaders at least need to be trustworthy and morally righteous. However, as I mentioned before, there is no universal definition for authentic leadership and as a result each definition is “written from a different viewpoint and with a different emphasis” (Chan, 2005; Northouse, 2022, p.402). With that in mind, we will try to focus our analytical approach down by analyzing the famous leader Warren Buffett using George’s take on authentic leadership as described by the Northouse text.

The Northouse text highlights the view of authentic leadership created by George (2003) which focuses on “the characteristics of authentic leaders” (George, 2003; George & Sims, 2007; Northouse, 2022, p.404). Throughout his research and experience in a corporate setting he derived that authentic leaders exhibit five base character traits that define their authentic leadership style. The first character trait that George talks about is that authentic leaders “have a strong sense of purpose” (George, 2003; George & Sims, 2007; Northouse, 2022, p.404). Upon researching some of Warren Buffett’s personal achievements I stumbled upon an article talking about his escapades as a teenager making money. In the article, it mentions that Buffett used to sell packs of gum and Coca-Cola to houses in the neighborhood (Guzman & Stevens, 2017) and how by doing that he was able to save up enough money to buy a business. I can think of no better example of a strong sense of purpose. His purpose was to make money and he directly performed behaviors from childhood that facilitated that purpose. Likewise, his sense of purpose was strong as the article mentions that during his job working as a newspaper delivery boy he consistently challenged himself to finish routes faster and even went so far as to create a way of tracking when magazine subscriptions expired for people on his route so he could sell to them (Guzman & Stevens, 2017). These behaviors ultimately culminated in him becoming one of the richest people alive and an owner of one of the most successful Fortune 500 companies.

The second characteristic that George (2003) highlights is that authentic leaders “have strong values about the right thing to do” (George, 2003; George & Sims; 2007; Northouse, 2022, p.404) and they behave in a way that represents their values. In the context of Warren Buffett, an article by the Insider indicates that “Berkshire can make acquisitions cheaper than other companies can because when they’re buying a family business, the family can trust that Berkshire isn’t going to plunder the assets, lay off workers, and chop it up” (Weisenthal, 2014). To simplify the context, Buffett maintains that these family-owned business that are acquired by Berkshire are able to let go easier because they implicitly trust that their life’s work won’t be torn to shreds. In this way, Buffett emphasizes his strong values and his righteous moral compass. Many corporate mergers come with downsizing, restructuring, etc. that completely shifts the dynamic of the company being acquired. In the case of Berkshire and Buffett, these companies are able to function in the same way they did before but under the wing of Berkshire’s name and guidance. In the same article, Buffett enthusiastically speaks about a furniture store in Texas that he had acquired from a family-business that was set to expand store locations. He indicated that the opening of the store location poses absolutely no economic change to Berkshire’s bottom line but regardless he was incredibly happy for the family to be expanding their business (Weisenthal, 2014). While this may not seem like much, this happiness for a small business that he is partnered with indicates his strong value towards building family-owned businesses. He does not seek to tear down his competitors but rather build them up under his guidance to be better than they were before.

The third characteristic mentioned in the text is that authentic leaders “establish trusting relationships with others” (George 2003; George & Sims, 2007; Northouse, 2022, p.404). They are able to be open with themselves and express their opinions while also establishing relationships with other people. My previous point works very well here. When Buffett acquires these family-owned businesses he is able to do so easier than other companies. The primary factor for this is trust. The family-owned companies that Buffett is looking to acquire have poured a lot of time and effort in their own lives into making these companies work. As such, they are reluctant to give away something they have spent so much effort on only for it to get plundered and wiped from history. When Buffett acquires these companies he promotes a level of mutual trust and understanding between the two parties. Owners of the companies are “often willing, according to Buffett, to accept less money for the promise that their prize possession will be taken care of once sold” (Weisenthal, 2014). This indicates that the level of trust between these small business owners and Buffett is so high that they would be willing to give away their companies for less money purely because they know he is going to treasure their company. In this way, he forms highly trusting relationships with others and delivers on his promises. As I mentioned before, he was extremely enthusiastic about the opening of the new store location for one of his small business partners even though that new store location had absolutely no effect on his overall bottom line. He was just profoundly happy for the family, this level of authenticity, honesty, and kindness has led many to easily form trusting relationships with him.

The fourth characteristic that George (2003) mentions is that authentic leaders “demonstrate self-discipline and act on their values” (George, 2003; George & Sims, 2007; Northouse, 2022, p.404). Warren Buffett is one of the richest people alive and one of the very few to be classified as a billionaire. With that being said, he currently resides in the same house “he bought in 1958 for $31,500” (Garcia, 2022). While this may not seem like much, this indicates that regardless of economic status Buffett maintain an incredibly frugal disposition and lifestyle. He values frugality heavily and disciplines himself to act on those values. Another strong example of this is his car purchases. An article by GOBanking indicates that Buffett frequently buys reduced-price cars such as cars that suffer from hail damage (Garcia, 2022). This again indicates his self-discipline and value of frugality. Cars are a depreciating asset the moment you take them off the lot and as such he makes it a habit not to purchase a new car frequently. Instead he chooses to keep the cars he has as long as he can as he barely even drives (Garcia, 2022). Finally, another great example of his strong values comes in his choice of suits. The article indicates that Buffett does not buy high-end designer suits but rather goes to a custom tailor to get all his suits done. Instead of buying expensive designer suits he chooses to support a small-business. Likewise, he also states that the quality of her suits is very high and as such he is not even sacrificing anything. Finally, the article indicates that we should “Opt for quality goods that will last [us] a long time, rather than buying something just because it has a brand name attached to it” (Garcia, 2022). With these examples, it is clear to see how Buffett exemplifies his values and acts on them in his personal life. As a child, Buffett was not born into a rich family and worked very hard for his wealth so he values quality and affordability even years later when he became rich. Likewise, even after he became rich he still acts with a great degree of self-discipline and control.

The final characteristic that George (2003) highlights is that authentic leaders “are sensitive and empathetic to the plight of others” (George, 2003; George & Sims, 2007; Northouse, 2022, p.404). While I used this example a couple times throughout the post it once again fits well here. Buffett’s business values concerning family-owned businesses highlight his sensitivity and empathy toward others. When he acquires the businesses he makes an effort to have them understand that he has no intention of destroying their life’s work. He is able to acquire top tier companies for cheap prices because he is able to empathize with the plight of the family who put so much time and effort into building this business. The last thing they want to see is it get destroyed when they lose control and by promoting a sense of trust between the two parties that Buffet can assuage their fears and help smoothen the transition. The Insider article mentions a flashback that Buffett has as he “[thinks] back to August 30, 1983 – [his] birthday – when [he] went to see Mrs. B (Rose Blumkin), carrying a 11⁄4-page purchase proposal for NFM that [he] had drafted. (It’s reproduced on pages 114 – 115.) Mrs. B accepted [his] offer without changing a word, and [they] completed the deal without the involvement of investment bankers or lawyers (an experience that can only be described as heavenly)” (Weisenthal, 2014). This kind of situation almost never happens; to not involve lawyers or bankers in the acquisition of a company requires an extremely strong level of trust that can only be gained from the acquiring party being empathetic to the needs of the acquired party.

Overall, George (2003) highlighted many characteristics that authentic leaders demonstrate and helped determine the behaviors that authentic leaders have. Using these characteristics, Warren Buffet is a prime example of authentic leadership. He is able to exhibit all of the characteristics mentioned by George (2003) and is incredibly trustworthy and morally righteous. As I mentioned in the beginning of the post, these two qualities are inherent in authentic leaders and presently show up heavily in Buffett’s style of leadership.

 

References:

Northouse, P.G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications

Garcia, A. (2022, April 10). 11 ways Warren Buffett lives frugally. GOBankingRates. Retrieved April 17, 2022, from https://www.gobankingrates.com/net-worth/business-people/ways-warren-buffett-lives-frugally/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CHe%20did%20move%20past%20baby,safest%20course%20I%20can%20take.%E2%80%9D

Guzman, Z., & Stevens, M. (2017, June 27). Here’s how Warren Buffett hustled to make $53,000 as a teenager. CNBC. Retrieved April 17, 2022, from https://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/31/heres-how-warren-buffett-hustled-to-make-53000-as-a-teenager.html

Weisenthal, J. (2014, March 2). Warren Buffett gets away with paying his employees less by using this one weird trick. Business Insider. Retrieved April 17, 2022, from https://www.businessinsider.com/warren-buffett-pay-2014-3#:~:text=Buffett%20never%20skips%20a%20chance,the%20levels%20he%20considers%20obscene.

We have discussed many of the traits and characteristics that Servant Leaders carry but looking at practical examples of servant leadership can any profession be classified as truly servant leadership? I believe there is one profession that can be classified as bone-a-fide servant leadership. That profession is teaching. According to Greenleaf (1970) as defined by the Northouse text, “[Servant leadership] begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead” (Greenleaf, 1970; Northouse, 2022, p.453). Looking at the profession of teaching these qualities become clear. Teaching is a profession that requires absolute dedication to the ones being taught. In this relationship, the one being taught gains more and becomes more enriched than the one teaching. It can even be said that teachers sacrifice their own self-interest (time) to enrich the lives of their followers. Northouse indicates that the idea of self-sacrifice and putting followers first is a core principle of servant leadership (Northouse, 2022, p.454). In this way, teaching very closely relates to servant-leadership. Media can showcase things it wasn’t even aware it was showcasing and in this case a prime example of how teaching resembles servant leadership can be seen in the movie Coach Carter.

In the movie Coach Carter, an inner city basketball team in California is struggling and requires the help of a new basketball coach (Ken Carter) to get it back on track. The basketball players are all individuals who require some serious transformational leadership and Coach Carter provides this as well. However, we are here to talk about his servant leadership characteristics. Northouse indicates that “[servant leaders] demonstrate strong moral behavior toward followers” (Graham, 1991; Walumbwa, Hartnell, & Oke, 2010; Northouse, 2022, p. 454). When Coach Carter became coach for the Richmond High School basketball team he had his players sign a contract stating they would maintain a certain grade point average and attend their classes. As the movie progresses he discovers that many of the players have been shirking on that contract and he proceeds to close down the gym and prevent them from playing in games. As a result they forfeit games and break their winning streak while Coach Carter becomes the most hated man in town. However, even after being threatened and harassed he remains strong in his moral value of having these kids value their education and commit to a proper future. His moral strength changes the heart of these kids and even after the lockdown is forcibly ended they decide not to pick up a ball till they have all caught up in their classes (Carter, 2005). In this way, he not only represents aspects of servant leadership but transformational leadership as well.

Another example of Coach Carter’s servant leadership qualities comes in the form of his basketball training. In order to make a winning basketball team the players need to be adequately conditioned and physically in peak condition. As such, when Coach Carter joins the team they are on a losing streak and struggle with their physical fitness. Coach Carter puts them through the ringer pushing them harder and harder to condition themselves better than other teams. As a result, they begin to win games with increasing frequency leading to one of their greatest seasons (Carter, 2005). Coach Carter foresees the talent scouts that come to watch these young kids play as they move along on their winning streak. As Northouse points out, one characteristic that servant leaders have is foresight. This is also known as “the servant leader’s ability to know the future” (Northouse, 2022, p. 457). In the case of Coach Carter, when he initially introduces himself to the team, he indicates that if they follow his teaching they WILL win basketball games (Carter, 2005). This is a strong indicator of his foresight ability and just as he predicted they began to win like crazy. Another good indicator of his foresight ability is the reason he pushed his student-athletes to succeed in class. He indicates that the GPA limit he set in his contract will allow these young men to get lower SAT scores and still qualify for an athletic scholarship (Carter, 2005). He shows foresight by creating these contracts with those stipulations in mind all in order to make sure his players have a shot at college. This further indicates his strong moral commitment to his players.

The last indicator of his servant leader qualities comes in the form of his self-sacrifice and relationship with the ball players. One player in specific, Timo Cruz, forms a deep bond with Coach as he tries to quit his life of selling drugs and gangbanging (Carter, 2005). While initially against Mr. Cruz playing on the team he relents when he sees how the team bonds around him. However his arrogance and callous attitude still cause issues with Coach Carter and as such they butt heads through most of the movie (Carter, 2005). However, through daily practice and giving Mr. Cruz a routine besides his gang Coach Carter enriches Timo’s life and changes it for the better. Timo becomes someone who is able to open up and let his guard down and someone who can be a reliable leader both on and off the team. In this way, his life becomes much more enriched as he is served by Coach Carter. Finally, reiterating a point I made earlier “servant leaders place the good of followers over their own self-interests and emphasize follower development” (Hale & Fields, 2007; Northouse, 2022, p. 454). Coach Carter’s self-sacrifice can be seen at multiple points throughout the movie. In the beginning of the movie, he indicates to his girlfriend that if he took this job the pay would be lousy, it would eat up all his time, and he would no longer be able to go on vacation with her. Regardless, he decides to take the job anyway to benefit these young players and teach them some respect for the game of basketball and themselves (Carter, 2005). He emphasizes their growth over his needs and personal satisfaction. Once again this can be seen when he becomes ostracized by the town for banning basketball games and practices. He bans these games and practices in order to give the students the ability to concentrate wholly on their studies and he gets ostracized and has bricks thrown through his shop windows. However, even in all of the ostracization and villainy he never changes his moral stance, completely committed to providing these kids an education they require to excel in life (Carter, 2005). As such, Coach Carter demonstrates a deep desire to serve and enrich the lives of his followers even at the cost of his personal wants and goals. This idea is the very embodiment of servant leadership and can help inspire others to become servant leaders, as Spears indicates “practicing servant leadership comes more naturally for some than for others, but everyone can learn to be a servant leader (Spears, 2010). To exemplify this, when the students were re-given access to the gym they decided to continue foregoing practice in order to finish their educational goals. Coach Carter’s exemplary moral conduct inspired the students to become their own servant leaders and serve the greater interests of the students by doing well in class (Carter, 2005). As they all did it together, they were able to help each other find the motivation to keep going.

Overall, Coach Carter represents many aspects of what an ideal servant leader looks like. Likewise, he also represents many aspects of what a transformational leader looks like. However, with his servant leadership qualities it is important to highlight his self-sacrifice and high moral values. He truly believes in the idea of a STUDENT-athlete where student comes first. With that high moral justification in an urban area, he stood tall and proud even in the face of violence and significant harassment. His self-sacrifice and commitment to his followers shows his exemplary characteristics as a servant leader.

References:

Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications.

Carter, T. (2005). Coach Carter. Paramount Pictures.

Have you ever looked at someone and thought they were suited for one task or unsuited for another? Maybe you’ve been in a group where the formal leader did not know how to complete a certain task but someone else in the group did. Wouldn’t it be nice if they could just become the temporary leader to use their knowledge and direct the group? With Distributed (Shared) Leadership anyone can be the leader at any given time. According to the Northouse text “shared team leadership occurs when members of the team take on leadership behaviors to influence the team and to maximize team effectiveness” (Bergman, Rentsch, Small, Davenport, & Bergman, 2012; Northouse, 2022, p.812). To simplify this, each member of the team takes on the leadership role when they have the most to offer for the task. For example, if we are working on a group project and one individual is phenomenal at researching he/she will become the leader and conduct the group when we go to conduct research. Conversely, the group member who is good at crafts will become the leader and conduct the group when it comes time to build the project. Each individual steps up into the leadership position to fulfill the roll that suits their skills the best. However, as the Northouse text also points out, “shared leadership, while very important, does involve risk and takes some courage for the member who steps forward to provide leadership outside the formal role of team leader” (Amos & Klimoski, 2014; Northouse, 2022, p.813).

Talking theory is great but it truly becomes understandable when used in real world application. This previous semester I was part of a marketing class that had an assignment to play a marketing simulator. We were given teams at the start of the semester and told that we would be playing the game the whole semester. When my team met and introduced ourselves to each other we decided rather quickly to adopt a formal leader. With that being said, we adopted one of the girls in the group to be the leader seeing how she always put together the Zoom meetings and got everybody together to work. However, even with adopting her as the formal leader we naturally shifted to a shared leadership style. It felt the most comfortable for the situation and luckily the team had individuals who were willing to step up and lead when their abilities were needed. Throughout the course of the project there were multiple different elements of the simulation that required different skillsets. For example, there was an product development/R&D element as well as advertising and pricing. Having them all jumbled together into one simulation meant that we had to understand it all. The best way to tackle this was to designate task focuses to each individual member. I personally took the lead on pricing as I understood the pricing structure the most. I was able to become the leader for those periods of time and I would direct my other group members on how to arrive at the proper price for our product. On the other hand, I knew very little about the advertising aspect so other team members with a more creative base stepped forward to highlight their abilities and lead us to success. As the Northouse text points out, shared leadership styles lead to an increase in consensus, trust, and group cohesion (Bergman et al., 2012; Northouse, 2022, p.813). By capitalizing on the skills of each follower we can maximize overall team efficiency and promote the best work.

While we briefly spoke about Shared Leadership, Northouse expands on the topic with the Team Leadership Model. According to the Northouse text “the model provides the leader with a cognitive map for identifying team needs” (Northouse, 2022, p.839). A major strength to this model, according to the text, is that it takes into account the dynamically changing roles of followers and leaders in organizational settings. This is “consistent with a paradigm shift from top-down, hierarchical leadership toward more horizontal, team processes” (Friedrich, Griffith, & Mumford, 2016; Northouse, 2022, p.843). The text indicates that shared leadership is becoming increasingly important in the modern age where members of the team must all be able to perform the leadership functions necessary to “assess the current effectiveness of the team and then take appropriate action. This approach is consistent with the current movement in organizations to rethink leadership responsibilities in work teams (…) now, with organizational restructuring, these duties and responsibilities often are distributed across the team [instead of to a formal leader]” (Northouse, 2022, p.843). Instead of focusing on the leader as an individual the model seeks to focus on the critical aspects of being a leader such as team diagnostics and deciding courses of action (Northouse, 2022, p.843). This model has become increasingly popular within team-based organizations as it reduces in-group vs out-group mentalities.

Looking back at the example I gave, the Team Leadership Model could significantly have helped us during our project. While we were definitely good at working together, the Northouse text points out, “in immature teams leaders might need to take on more of the leadership roles, whereas in a mature team the leader might be able to sit back and let the team lead itself” (Northouse, 2022, p.845). I would personally consider my team more mature as we were definitely able to self-govern and not burden our formal leader with every leadership responsibility. We all did a great job of splitting the leadership burden equally and shouldering the load. We were able to accomplish this primarily because of, as the Northouse text points out, our competent team members (Northouse, 2022, p.820). I was lucky enough to have a team where everyone was capable of taking on leadership responsibilities so we were all able to distribute our workloads evenly and account for each other’s weaknesses.

In conclusion, shared leadership is becoming a very popular style of leadership in modern teams. The idea that each individual can act with a level of autonomy and control is refreshing and helps maintain trust, cohesion, and respect between leader and follower. I was able to implement shared leadership into my group project without even being aware of what I was doing. However, I can accurately say that I heavily prefer that style of group work as it gives each individual the ability to highlight their skills and become important to the overall process. By directly influencing the outcome we can achieve a higher level of motivation for the team as well as further team unity.

 

References:

Northouse, P.G. (2021). Leadership: Theory and practice. 9th Edition. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

Analyzing internal leadership characteristics and personality traits are effective at understanding what defines a good leader but they “may only have an indirect relationship with leadership effectiveness. Leader behavior, however, appears to have a more direct relationship with a leader’s effectiveness” (Hughes, Ginnet, & Curphy, 2012 as cited by PSU WC, L5 p.3, 2022). Understanding “what leaders do and how they act” (PSU WC, L5 p.3, 2022) is essential to understanding what constitutes effective leadership. With that in mind, I would like to talk about a leadership theory that focuses on a vital piece of information that many other theories miss out on. As highlighted by the course modules a major issue with trait theory and skills theory is that we do not get to talk about the situation; the context of what occurs between follower and leader (PSU WC, L5 p.3, 2022). The situational approach to leadership as defined by the Northouse text “provides a model that suggests to leaders how they should behave based on the demands of a particular situation” (Northouse, p.216, 2021). In this way, they are indicating that the most effective leaders are leaders that are able to adapt to situations and change their leadership styles accordingly. In Blanchard’s model as described by the Northouse text, leadership is “composed of a directive and supportive dimension” (Northouse, p.218, 2021) and each one serves a purpose in motivating followers. The text indicates that effective leaders must be able to adapt and switch between these directive and supportive dimensions as the need requires to effectively motivate followers (Northouse, p.218, 2021). While the theory is sound and presents a solid argument it is more effective to relate the theory to a real world example of an effective situation leader: General George Patton.

General Patton had a very effective situational style of leadership. According to the book General Patton’s Principles for Life and Leadership by Porter B. Williamson (one of Patton’s staff officers) as cited by the website Firehouse, Patton believed in a flexible approach to leadership situations and to use active listening (“Firehouse”, 2005). According to Blanchard’s model as described by the Northouse text “to determine what is needed in a particular situation, leaders must evaluate their followers and assess how competent and committed the followers are to perform a given goal” (Northouse, p. 218, 2021). In relation to General Patton, his flexible approach to leadership and his active listening were two behaviors that allowed him to step back and analyze situations to determine the best way to proceed. Two very important principles of management that were highlighted by the website Firehouse as cited from the book General Patton’s Principles for Life and Leadership by Porter B. Williamson are his principle to first “get the facts, when making decisions” (“Firehouse”, 2005) and “use the input from your people” (“Firehouse”, 2005). These two principles are important because they showcase how effective he was at situational leadership. His core principle was to understand the situation before rushing to judgement or decision. By understanding the context of the situation and subsequently garnering the input and participation of his followers he is better equipped to adapt to the situation and find the proper solution (or reprimand). Likewise, he did not just practice situation leadership himself, he influenced the core foundations of the military.

According to the website Cleverism, General Patton “also produced several papers on military and war strategy. His core message was that in order to win a war, one must be focused on analyzing the situation. General Patton’s situational analysis became one of the foundations of the US Military’s preparations for action” (Luenendonk, 2020). In his papers he outlined a core strategy of situational leadership theory which “states that leadership and strategy must be flexible. If it’s necessary to change action and leadership style because the situation calls for it, then a good leader will be able to do so” (Luenendonk, 2020). This is a perfect example of a situational style of leadership as he understands the use of both the directive and supportive dimensions of motivating followers. Another huge example that showcases how aware he was of the supportive dimension was his principle of using “positive motivation” (“Firehouse, 2005). He used positive motivation to earn the trust of his followers/soldiers while also maintaining authority and discipline. This can be seen in a Inc. article where Porter B. Williamson, a former staff officer for Patton, goes on to say “I served with General George S. Patton Jr. No man served under Gen. Patton; he was always serving with us” (Power, 2014). Patton was by all accounts a volatile and authoritative leader but he was also well aware of how to use supportive dimensions to raise troop morale and instill loyalty and motivation in his soldiers.

Overall, General Patton represents a strong example of an effective situation leadership style. Many of the behaviors and principles that represented the core of his values are also represented in situational theory. One such example of this is his drive to garner his followers input in situations and try to reach a consensus as much as possible. Many people know Patton as a primarily authoritative leader who used more directive dimensions than supportive but those who worked closely with him understand that he was just as a capable of using supportive dimensions such as “asking for input, solving problems, praising others, (…) and listening” (Northouse, p.219, 2021). Many of these traits can be seen throughout the blog post indicating that he truly is an effective example of situational leadership. The style of situational leadership that Patton best represents would be the  high directive-high supportive “coaching style” of situational leadership (Northouse, p.219, 2021). This style of leadership requires the leader to “involve themselves with followers by giving encouragement and soliciting follower input. However, coaching is an extension of S1 in that it still requires the leader make the final decision” (Northouse, p. 219, 2021). This can accurately sum up Patton’s style of leadership as he was very proactive about collecting follower input but ultimately any decision that would be made would be made by him, and him alone.

 

References:

Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2022). PSYCH 485 Lesson 5: Description of Style Approach Retrieved from: https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2177519/modules/items/33991687

Historically, the idea of a leader is something that has always been painted in a positive light. From the early kings of civilization to the president and world leaders we have today, leaders have signified strength and a symbol for unity of the people. Hence why they are usually referred to as “Pillars of the Community” because they figuratively hold the community up. However, much like many abstract ideas, the idea of leadership is neither a good or bad idea it purely comes down to how it is applied. In the Northouse text, Burn’s in 1978 defined leadership as “the reciprocal process of mobilizing by persons with certain motives and values, various economic, political, and other resources, in a context of competition or conflict, in order to realize goals independently or mutually held by both leaders and followers” (Northouse, 2021, pg. 42). Taking this definition in the context of a leader like Adolf Hitler you start to notice connections.

Breaking it down he is stating that a leader with their own distinct motives and values mobilizes economic power, political power, and other resources in a concerted effort to realize goals held either purely by the leader or by both leader and follower. Adolf Hitler was originally an inspiring artist who joined the Nazi political party to rise to a place of significant political power. He had his own motives for wanting to gain political power but he grew up during an era where his country experienced it’s worst economic period in history and after studying leaders like Ghandi he understood the power that an idea can have on a group of people. Yet, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, Hitler “showed traits that characterized his later life: loneliness and secretiveness” (Britannica.com, 2021) from an early age. These are typically not traits associated with a leader and especially not someone who was later classified as having “charismatic personality and dynamic leadership [style]” (Britannica.com, 2021). So how did Hitler become so popular?

Like I previously mentioned, Hitler was known to be an extremely charismatic figure inspiring loyalty in the droves of followers that were part of the Third Reich. He was able to mobilize Germany’s economic, political, and other resources by becoming a key member of the party and using political propaganda to become the face of influence for the masses . Originally, many of Hitler’s associates were threatened by his quick rise in power and tried to “curb his enthusiasm” but he threatened to resign from the party and as the party depended heavily on him to organize publicity and secure funding they were incredibly reluctant to let him go and as such gave him unchecked power in the party (Britannica.com, 2021). What is interesting is that his personal ambition slowly became the ambition of the country due to his overwhelming charisma. Looking at footage from speeches given during the Hitler regime it is clear he is an extremely expressive figure who uses pathos as his primary form of persuasion. He was extremely proficient at sparking emotion and even just watching footage of his speeches you can see how easy it might have been to get swept up in his narrative.

Now, when I say Hitler is charismatic it was not the be-all end-all to how he rose to power. It would be extremely easy to write off the numerous factors that came together as something as simple as “he is a charismatic leader” but it’s more complicated than that. However, his charisma did have a large, LARGE effect on how his popularity skyrocketed. In a study conducted by Jung and Sosik (2006) the findings helped classify traits that charismatic leaders have; these traits are “self monitoring, engagement to impression management, motivation to attain social power, and motivation to attain self-actualization” (Northouse, 2021, p.82). Many of these traits can be seen in Hitler, primarily the last two. Hitler’s motivation to obtain social power was relentless to the point that it scared his own party into trying to shut him down (Britannica.com,2021). Hitler had also always been strongly motivated to discover his passion, first in art and then in the political sphere. In each sphere, he expressed many aspirations and a desire for power and social standing (Britannica.com, 2021). Even going so far as to write a biography called “Mein Kampf” which in German translates directly to “My Struggle” in an effort to further self-actualize. Understanding the traits behind his powerful sense of charisma can help us better understand how leaders are given power and whether they deserve the power they are given. Or are they able to seize power by convincing enough people to follow them?

Finally, I wanted to end on a personal note and take a more informal stance. Looking at powerful leaders throughout history many have understood the power of symbols. The swastika, for instance, is a symbol associated with Nazi Germany which has come to represent hate, zealotry, and bigotry worldwide. However, much in tune with the theme of this blog post the symbol was itself corrupted and stolen from another country entirely. The swastika is originally an Indian symbol that was associated with thoughts of “well-being” and peace. Hitler, somewhere in his life, fell in love with this symbol and perverted it’s nature to represent a unifying symbol for his followers. Hitler fully understood that the symbol would become synonymous with his regime and would provide him even more power and influence. He was giving them something to be a part of, empowering them when they were at their weakest. He made them feel strong and proud to be German and that was something they had not had in a long time, and they loved him for it. But the perspective of the audience significantly changes how the story is told. To the rest of the world, he was a tyrant ruthlessly hell-bent on world domination. But to his country, he was the charismatic forward-thinking leader they had been craving and they ate it up. In the same way, we are all as easily influenceable as those tried during the Nuremburg Trials and if the past couple presidencies have told us anything it is that even intelligent followers are not incorruptible.

Video of Adolf Hitler Speech (30 sec clip):

https://youtu.be/FJ3N_2r6R-o

 

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