Great Man Theory of Leadership: Definition and Examples

The great man theory of leadership suggests that some individuals are born with characteristics that naturally make them skilled leaders. According to this view, leaders are born, not made. It also suggests that leaders assume authority when their leadership traits are needed.

Origins of the Great Man Theory of Leadership: - Historian Thomas Carlyle had a major influence on this theory of leadership - His views were that effective leaders are those gifted with divine inspiration and the right characteristics. - The mythology behind some of the world's most famous leaders, such as Abraham Lincoln, Julius Caesar, Mahatma Gandhi, and Alexander the Great, helped contribute to the notion that great leaders are born and not made.

Carlyle's Views on Leadership: - "The history of the world is but the biography of great men". - According to Carlyle, effective leaders are those gifted with divine inspiration and the right characteristics.

Early Leadership Research: - Some of the earliest research on leadership looked at people who were already successful leaders, often those who achieved their position through birthright. - This contributed to the idea that leadership is an inherent ability.

Nature vs. Nurture: - The great man theory of leadership is an example of using 'nature' to explain human behavior. - The nature vs. nurture debate in psychology suggests that some skills are innate while others are acquired through learning and experience. - In this case, great man theory suggests that nature plays the dominant role in leadership ability.

Examples of the Great Man Theory of Leadership: - Abraham Lincoln - Martin Luther King, Jr. - Mahatma Gandhi - George Washington - Winston Churchill - Nelson Mandela

Criticisms of the Great Man Theory of Leadership: - Ignores situational factors - Neglects skill development - Incomplete account of leadership

Herbert Spencer's Response: - Sociologist Herbert Spencer suggested that leaders are products of the society in which they lived. - In "The Study of Sociology," Spencer wrote: "You must admit that the genesis of a great man depends on the long series of complex influences which has produced the race in which he appears, and the social state into which that race has slowly grown…Before he can remake his society, his society must make him."

Contemporary Views of the Great Man Theory: - The great man theory has fallen out of favor in modern leadership research. - Contemporary ideas take a more nuanced and complex view of the many factors that influence leadership, including the characteristics of group members and the role of the situation. - While the great man theory has been largely replaced by other ideas, elements of it are still relevant today.