Paulo Coelho wrote, "the Warrior of the Light does not worry that, to others, his behavior might seem quite mad." Thus, is that the mark of greatness, of leadership? Was Ralph Waldo Emerson right when he said, "to be great is to be misunderstood?"
Simply, what are the traits of a leader and who instills power within that leader? Think hard and write well...
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4 comments:
Just a small thing that was on my mind; it might trickle a little of topic:
I agree and disagree with Coelho. The great leader should care about what others think, if they think he seems quite mad. But at the same time, if it’s not a great majority of people believing he’s mad than it’s not something to worry as much about. I do agree with Emerson that being great is to be misunderstood. Leadership comes through responsibility and the ability to deal with tribulations in a manner which satisfies the greater majority. It is impossible to satisfy everybody. So in that sense many people will think a great leader is mad. Every genius can be argued against and every madman can be argued for. The only difference between a genius and a madman is that people understand the genius. The madman fails to bring people to his understanding and is therefore the only one who understands (obviously). Until they are understood, they will only be a genius in their mind.
I see that in a way to be misunderstood is an accomplishment. If others know and are aware of your leadership then they can disagree. It does only take one person to misunderstand, but I think it you must be well known to be misunderstood (if you understand what I mean).
Many traits make up a leader. One must be responsible, confident, respectful and be respected, have the skill to please others, and maintain a steady hold on violence and corruption. But to become a leader is completely up to the individual. I do think that everyone’s view of the ideal leader is different. Therefore it is very hard to find YOUR ideal leader. The only person who could become your ideal leader is yourself. That isn’t because no one else is capable of it, but simply because you’re the only one who knows precisely what you want. Even if there was your ideal leader, it would only satisfy you. I find the greater the leader satisfies the greater majority of people. I think of why we need a leader and why we need somebody to tell us what to do and how to act. The United Sates of America came independent over a couple hundred years ago. But I find that we will never be completely free. We will always be ruled by a government and authority by what they think; whether it’s our country system of rule or a foreign one. Even once we were free of society’s rule we would still be restrained by ourselves. We would worry about how others would judge what we did. Once we break down that fence though, we will be free.
In our world today I think most leaders fall into the same category, rich, white and often but not always power hungry. These are the men who have always been on top. I think that we see this in Lord of the flies. Ralph, who has a father in the Navy and can stand on his head almost immediately, becomes leader. He is the boy that all the other boys want to be and therefore they put him in the position of leader even though he may not be the most capable. People listen to Ralph. It seems as if it is human nature to have a fascination with looks. The boys would never choose Piggy as a leader because he is not a representation of what boys, in a society where appearance is everything, want to be.
Reading what Coelho and Emerson wrote I think that yes that is true but then the question is why is it that when we choose a leader we do not always look for these traits. In all my many years as a student I have seen only several times, seen the class pick the most capable leader whether it be in an election or just a person that sets the example. Most times it was the best looking kid or the most “popular”. On occasion it was the nicest, but never was it the kid who knew what was going on and had ideas on how to change the bad to good.
I definitely agree that a good leader does not care what others think. They can’t, a good leader knows what has to be done a sticks with it in order to make a change in society and not to bring themselves up. In Lord of the Flies you see Ralph almost torn between doing good for himself and doing good for society. Jack, the self made leader is in it for power for himself and does not care about society in the least. Piggy, though we have not seen him in the sense of a leader is the one who knows what needs to be done if only people would listen.
It’s unfair to clump all rulers together under a single heading, just as it’s unfair to clump together all those who are ruled. There are many kinds of leaders, and though they all control those beneath them, their power is used to different ends. Power cannot be taken, only created and given: a society creates its rulers.
Ralph’s is elected as the island chief because he has appealed to the other children’s need for security. He is one of the largest boys on the island, almost big enough to be an adult, and he carries with him a sort of courageousness and surety that can be associated with age. The children on the island are, when they first arrive, still controlled by the adult’s of their “old” (67) lives. Jack is unable to kill a pig because of implication of savagery applied to cutting another living thing. Ralph cannot bring himself a throw a true stone and hit Henry when he is hiding in the trees. His self-inflicted bad aim is not born from any fondness for Henry, but because he is “conditioned” (67) to avoid physically wounding another being. Ralph is a symbol of their previous lives, of order, and he gives them hope that they will return home in due time. His is an imperfect leader, but he fits the needs of the other children at the beginning of the book.
Jack is also a leader, though a much different kind. He is not elected as chief, so he claws his way into power by abusing Piggy and hunting pigs. His ambition to rule is evident at the first island meeting when he tries to mold himself into an adult by changing his name to Merridew. He is unsuccessful in this attempt, and quickly changes tactics. While he fails to stab a pig the first time he ties, the encounter promises those following there will “be no mercy” (30). He continually hunts pigs, gaining more and more power among his choir boys as he draws closer to killing civility. His final attempt to change himself, evident in his painted face, leads to his successful slaughter and secures his power.
Although it is important for a leader to sometimes look past the judgments and thoughts of others, it is also important for that leader to pay attention to what is thought of him/her, and his/her actions. Leadership is not something that can be declared, or instated by one person. That is why dictatorships and other forms of government where leaders are not elected tend to fail. It is important for a leader to understand not only their actions, but also the thoughts of those that it controls. Leadership is instilled by those that are being lead, not by those that are leading. Although some do have the traits of a leader and the important qualities, they are chosen by those that they will lead. This comes into perspective in Lord of the Flies for although Ralph and Jack both are the “leaders” of their group, they have little control. This occurs because Ralph and Jack both put the control, and power upon themselves, rather than letting those that would be ruled decide. This creates problems on the island, but another leader emerges, Simon. Simon has the ability to lead, for he has the ability to connect with the island. Jack and Ralph both are unable to achieve this, for they are constantly trying to battle the effects of the island, rather than embracing it such as Simon did. Because of this they continue to make mistakes, and poor decisions as leaders. Simon however is able to achieve the trust of the “littleuns”, and the trust of others through his soft-spoken manner. Although Simon has a quiet aura, he exudes the confidence and true power that is essential for a leader to posses.
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