Introduction
Leadership is a slippery word that is defined differently by different people in the world. Some people consider leadership as a process while others defines it as a responsibility. It is quite interesting to note that leadership is very different from science because leaders are not certain whether they will attain their goals or not. Studies define leadership as a process of having things done by people. It is also a process of being in charge of a certain group or organization in the society.
The fact with leadership is that it either can be inherited or acquired meaning that people can be born with leadership while others can acquire it. The objective of this study is to explore the concept of leadership by answering questions related to leadership styles such as factors that lead to effective leadership and how leaders influence people lives among others (Clark & Poortenga, 2003).
Discussion
Compare and contrast the leadership styles and scope of influence of two historical figures
The story of ethics: Fulfilling our nature is a resourceful book written by Clark, K. and Poortenga, A. The book explores the concept of leadership by highlighting various theories of leadership that are evident in both tradition and modern world. Based on the book, researchers were able to identify some of leaders who have been considered as historical figures in the world. Examples of such historical figures include Bill Clinton, George bush, Nelson Mandela, Idi Amin Dada and Julius Nyelele among others.
All these leaders used different styles of leadership to lead the society. The study discusses Idi Amin Dada and George Bush as important historical figures that used different leadership styles during their regime. An example is Idi Amin Dada who was the president and a military leader of Uganda between 1971 and 1979 (Sosik & Jung, 2001). He used autocratic leadership style to lead the people of Uganda by commanding them to do what he wanted.
In contrast, George Bush, the former U.S. President used participative leadership style to lead the people of America. He gave American people the mandate to participate in the decision-making process, a style that brought development in the country (Greenstein, 2003). The implication is that dictatorship and democracy are very different and they act as determinants of a country’s development.
What made Idi Amin Dada and George Bush effective leaders?
The two leaders cannot be considered effective because not all of them influenced people’s lives positively. George Bush in this case can be considered as an effective leader as opposed to Idi Amin Dada because he led with the help of people. He considered the society as an important part of leadership by granting people the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process (Greenstein, 2003). On the contrary, Idi Amin Dada ignored the role of the society in leadership by leading against the likes of the Ugandan, people (Sosik & Jung, 2001).
How did they influence the lives of people positively or negatively?
According to the history of George Bush, it is clear that he influenced the lives of people positively by allowing people to take part in the decision making process. He also gave people the opportunity to air their opinions or views hence being able to determine their problems and creating means through which they could be helped. In contrast, Idi Amin Dada influenced the lives of people negatively by imposing the policy that demands the killing of all the economic burden people that form part of the minority groups in Uganda. He never led by people but against them thus demoralizing them from actively participating in the development process (Greenstein, 2003).
How will they be remembered in history?
George Bush will be remembered for his good leadership among the Americans. During his regime, America achieved high levels of development that led to high standards of living to the American people (Greenstein, 2003). On other hand, Idi Amin Dada will be remembered for his poor leadership style that led to massive killing of minority groups in Uganda. Many in history will remember the dictatorship kind of leadership that he practiced (Sosik & Jung, 2001).
Would you consider them servant-leaders types?
According to the study, American people will consider George Bush as a servant leader because he was committed to cater for the need of all people regardless of their health status as opposed to Idi Amin Dada who never cared for his people (Greenstein, 2003).
Conclusion
In conclusion, the study is interesting because it explores the concept of leadership by highlighting different styles of leadership practiced by different leaders in their countries. The study used George Bush and Idi Amin Dada as two examples of historical figures that influenced the lives of the people both positively and negatively.
References
Clark, K. & Poortenga, A. (2003). The story of ethics: Fulfilling our human nature. New York: Prentice Hall.
Greenstein, F. (2003). The George W. Bush presidency: an early assessment. United Kingdom: JHU Press.
Sosik, J. & Jung, D. (2001). Full Range Leadership Development. London: Taylor & Francis.