Introduction
Human character, opinion, and behavior are developed over time. The development of these attributes depends on a number of factors. The intervening variables include, among others, the social environment within which the individual exists, their interactions with significant others, as well as the socialization process in general. Leadership is one of the factors that influence the opinions and behavioral patterns associated with a human agent (Wade and Putman 150). As such, leaders play a major role in the society. They guide people and help them to organize and synchronize their activities in efforts to achieve a common goal. They also encourage human development either for the benefit of an individual organization or for the sake of the society at large.
It is evident that the role played by leaders in the society is an important and revered one. It is also clear that these persons impact on the development of human character and opinions. However, the extent to which this influence is felt is not very clear. Scholars have made attempts to understand the psychology and rationality behind some of the most irrational acts associated with humans. Such acts include riots, formation of gangs, and participation political upheavals. It is clear that these elements are associated with leadership (Sadler 34). Scholars try to understand the relationship between these individuals and the irrational behavior of people in the society. However, these attempts have failed to clearly establish the role of the leader in the development of ideologies and concepts that are acceptable to members of the society. In addition, the methods employed by the principals to ensure that people accept and follow these ideologies are unclear (Banerjee and Ercetin 46).
The current research paper is written against this background. In the paper, the researcher analyzes the nature of the link between leaders and formation of opinions in the society. The influence of these individuals on other people in the society is reviewed in the paper.
Problem Statement
Leaders are major stakeholders in any society. In most cases, the functions of these individuals may have positive impacts on both the community and the individual members. However, their activities may have negative effects depending on the nature of the ideologies formulated and promoted by the leader (Goldsmith, Baldoni and McArthur 93).
Regardless of the impacts of these principals on the social make-up, they always have some form of following from members of the society. In fact, they qualify to be leaders as a result of their ability to bring people together. The ‘irrespective degree’ of following could explain why even the worst dictators in the world still manage to win democratic elections carried out by their own people (Banerjee and Ercetin 22). In light of this, it is very important to establish the degree to which leaders affect the ideologies and opinions held by their subjects. Failure to discern the nature of these impacts makes it hard to determine the likelihood of individuals in the society engaging in anti-social behaviors as a result of negative philosophies disseminated by their leaders. In addition, it becomes hard to establish extent to which persons own ideologies promoted by other parties and alter them to suit their individual needs (Goldsmith et al. 98).
Research Questions
The current study is guided by one major research question. The query is addressed by answering 4 specific questions. The questions are as follows:
Major Research Question
How do leaders influence the formation of ideologies and opinions among individuals in the society?
Specific Research Questions
- What is the role played by leadership in the development of opinions and ideologies among human beings?
- Do leaders have the ability to sway existing opinions and change pre-determined ideologies among individuals?
- At which point do people stop following a leader due to the realization that the ideologies and opinions promoted by these personas are of no benefit to the society?
- Do negative and positive opinions held by a leader have the same amount of ‘pull’ and appeal to the subjects?
Research Methodology
Research Variables
The relationship between formation of opinions and leadership needs to be analyzed effectively. The current study will provide answers to the cited research questions. In addition, the researcher will attempt to explain common human behavior. To achieve this, the study will be organized into independent, dependent, and intervening variables.
Independent variable
The study has one independent variable, which is the nature of leadership in the society.
Dependent variables
They include human character, behavior, and formation of opinions and ideologies.
Intervening variables
The elements entail factors through which the independent variable influences the dependent variables. For the purposes of this study, the intervening variables include socialization, leadership methods, and ideologies held by the principals. Others include the character of the leader and their ability to influence people.
Formulation of the variables for this study was based on a number of assumptions. For example, it was presupposed that people submit willingly to external manipulation through suggestions made by leaders in an uncritical and painless way. Another assumption is that any idea or value can be sold or ‘unsold’ to human subjects without reference to any merits or demerits associated with it (Wade and Putman 151). In addition, the age, education, level of income, and social status of individuals inform the way they interpret and own opinions and ideologies sold by their leaders (Aitken 88).
Research Methods
There were a number of data collection methods at the disposal of this researcher in the process of carrying out this study. However, interviews and experiments were opted for after careful consideration of the merits and demerits of alternative methods. For example, it was found that questionnaires could not provide the kind of information needed for the research.
A series of interviews were conducted with 20 subjects. The subjects were selected for their participation in this study based on a number of factors. The factors included age, level of education, as well as financial and social statuses. The variation of this sample population was meant to ensure that comprehensive data was collected on the subject matter. In addition, the various variables identified for this study were taken into consideration in the process of sampling the participants to take part in the research (Wade and Putnam 150).
The first experiment involved requesting the respondents to respond to a number of questions structured to reveal their opinions. The subjects took part in this experiment in isolation. Their responses acted as a benchmark indicating the opinions they hold. The responses were filed away in readiness for the second experiment. The first test was conducted for up to three times to give the respondents the chance to revise their answers if they needed to do so (Sadler 74).
The second experiment was conducted after 8 hours have elapsed. The duration was expected to diminish the memory of the respondents as far as their responses in the first test are concerned. As such, the initial responses were expected to have reduced impacts on the second experiment. In the second trial, all the 20 respondents were put together in one room and asked questions that were similar to those in experiment one. The participants were required to answer the questions freely and openly in the presence of other respondents. Their opinions were recorded and filed away. The experiment was meant to reveal whether individuals would change their responses as a result of the presence of other individuals. The impacts of the other respondents on the individual were reviewed. The aim was to see whether the age, education level, social, and economic standings of other individuals affect the opinions held by people (Sadler 74).
After another 8 hours, the respondents were taken through the third experiment. They listed to various recordings of speeches made by popular leaders in relation to the questions posed to them in the first two experiments. The recordings were structured in such a way that they revealed the opinions held by the leaders in relation to the subject matter. The vignettes were from both educated and uneducated leaders. Others were from democratic leaders and dictators, as well as individuals who can be regarded as successful or unsuccessful principals. After listening to the recordings, the respondents were asked the same questions posed in experiments one and two. They were expected to respond individually. Their answers were recorded and stored (Wade and Putnam 150).
After another 8 hours have passed, the respondents were taken through the fourth and final test. In this case, the individuals were placed in the same room like in scenario 2. They were instructed to listen to the same recordings played to them in scenario 3. After that, the respondents were asked the same questions as in scenarios 1, 2, and 3. Again, they were requested to be honest and free in their responses. The information was collected for further analysis (Wade and Putnam 151).
Data Analysis
All the experiments were aimed at establishing the level to which human opinions are swayed by different factors, including leadership, age, economic status, social standing, and level of education. The responses were collected and evaluated to establish why and when the individual opinions changed. As a result, conclusive data was garnered to effectively analyze the various factors that influence opinion (Aitken 55).
Results and Findings
In experiment 1, all respondents were confident about their opinions and responses. It was noted that 13 out of the 20 subjects did not even take the opportunity provided to revise their answers. On the contrary, they gave similar answers in subsequent intervals. However, in experiment 2, 11 of the respondents altered their opinions. 9 of these 11 subjects changed their responses to reflect those given by their younger counterparts and those more educated than them. In addition, 7 out of the 11 changed their answers and made them similar to those given by individuals that were wealthier and more successful than them. Interestingly, 8 of the 11 respondents changed their opinions to emulate those given by subjects that were older but less educated than them (Sadler 43).
However, the third experiment led to major shifts in the attitudes held by the respondents. 15 out of the 20 respondents changed their responses to reflect those held by different leaders. 12 out of the 15 respondents leaned towards either powerful and charismatic leaders or witty, educated, and successful principals. In the fourth experiment, a number of changes were noted. However, the alterations were mainly attributed to the respondent’s identification with their preferred leaders. In scenario 3, powerful, charismatic, witty, highly educated, and successful opinion makers impacted significantly on the respondents. However, in scenario 4, 8 of the less educated respondents chose the opinions exhibited by subjects who were more educated than them (Sadler 43).
Conclusion
Leadership and its various definitions is a relative phenomenon to a number of human beings. For example, some people view a leader as an individual who is older than them. On their part, others regard leaders as persons who are wiser than them. Still, some people associate leadership with wealth and success (Aitken 34). The variations notwithstanding, human beings, for whatever reasons, accept and appreciate the concept of leadership.
It is also evident that the idea of strong leadership skills influences the opinions held by individuals significantly. Human subjects will strive to establish their own leader figure when not presented with one. They do this on the basis of wealth, knowledge, wit, and age (Goldsmith et al. 92). However, when presented with a leader figure, individuals tend to conform to the ideas of this individual for a number of reasons. As such, one may infer that individuals (together with their various attributes) are influenced significantly by leaders. However, it is important to note that human beings reserve the right to establish the leaders they want to follow. The current study was used to determine the degree to which human attributes are influenced by leadership in the society. The research revealed that there is a relationship between the two elements. However, the study also indicated that not all leaders have the ability to sway opinions. On the contrary, individuals appear to use a well established criterion to determine the persons to follow in the community (Banerjee and Ercetin 46).
Recommendations
It is important for persons who aspire to be leaders to ensure that they most (if not all) of the elements used by individuals as criteria to create principal figures. When they do this, the individual will be able to convince people not only to follow them, but also to think like them (Sadler 34). As such, a leader should be of the right age, social status, and economic standing for them to establish a following. In addition, they should have the ideal level of education. However, these attributes are not enough on their own. The leader should not only possess these elements, but must also be able to exhibit signs of power, wit, charisma, education, and success.
Works Cited
Aitken, Peter. Leadership, Learning, and Renewal: A Study of the Needs and Attitudes Expressed by Independent School Heads Concerning Their Own Professional Development, London: Harvard Graduate School of Education, 1991. Print.
Banerjee, Santo, and Sefika Ercetin. Chaos, Complexity and Leadership 2012, New York: Springer, 2013. Print.
Goldsmith, Marshall, John Baldoni, and Sarah McArthur. The AMA Handbook of Leadership, New York: AMACOM, 2010. Print.
Sadler, Philip. Leadership. 2nd ed. 2003. London: Kogan Page Publishers. Print.
Wade, Rahima, and Kim Putnam. “In Brief: Tomorrow’s Leaders? Gifted Students’ Opinions of Leadership and Service Activities.” Roeper Review 18.2 (1995): 150-151. Print.