What makes one person a better and more successful leader than another? And how is it that some men and women rise above others? In this article, I look at the Great Man Theory: a theory that holds that leaders are born, not made. A controversial theory, with a kernel of truth and interesting points for discussion.
What is leadership?
"Leadership is influence. Nothing more, nothing less." That is how leadership author John C. Maxwell described it. If you inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. A good leader can translate a vision into reality and take others along with it thanks to a clear focus. A leader leads people without forcing them.
What is the Great Man Theory?
The Great Man Theory dates from the nineteenth century. It explains history mainly through the influence of exceptional individuals, or heroes. People who, thanks to innate qualities such as great intellect, heroic courage and extraordinary leadership qualities, had a decisive influence on history. The theory is mainly attributed to the Scottish philosopher and historian Thomas Carlyle. In 1840 he gave a series of lectures on heroism, later collected as On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History. According to Carlyle, the history of the world was essentially the biography of great men. Wikipedia
According to this theory, every person comes into the world with certain characteristics and traits. In leaders these are special, which enables them to do great things and end up in the history books.
You may also be interested in: engaging leadership.
Which traits belong to it?
I find the theory interesting mainly because it shows which traits successful leaders often have. Even though not everyone accepts it, there is a lot of inspiration to be drawn from it. Frequently mentioned traits are:
- Intelligence
- Charm
- Persuasiveness
- Courage
- Judgement
- Intuition
- Dominance
Born or made?
According to the theory, these traits are fixed in the genes and passed on from generation to generation. That soon drew criticism. One of the best-known critics was the English philosopher Herbert Spencer. He felt that 'great men' are mainly a product of their environment: before a great man can remake his society, his society must make him. Wikipedia
Modern research shows that the truth lies in the middle. Researchers led by Richard Arvey compared identical and non-identical twins. About 30% of the differences in the extent to which people hold a leadership role could be explained by hereditary factors. The rest came from the environment and the experiences someone gains. Arvey et al. So talent plays a part, but leadership can to a large extent also be learnt and developed.
And you?
Do you agree with the Great Man Theory? Do you think successful leadership is in your genes, or mainly in what you do with them? Which of the traits above do you recognise in yourself, and which would you like to develop further?
Also read leadership: what forms are there? and good leadership is parenting in reverse.
