Great Man Leadership Theory .pdf

Leadership Theory Presentation

1. Charismatic or Great Man
Theoryof Leadership
A Nature vs. Nurture conversation
in Leadership Models

2. What is the Great Man Theory?
Throughout this presentation, we will review:
1.What the Great Man Theory is
2.Thomas Carlyle’s beliefs on the Great Man
3.Different Historical Archetypes and how they present
4.Recognizable traits in leaders
5.Big Five Personality Traits Theory - A connection
6.Any underlying beliefs or assumptions in the Great Man Theory
7.Main Proponents of Great Man Theory
8.Pros and Cons of the Great Man Theory

3. Description of Leadership Theory
-Great leaders are born with inherent traits that make them great leaders
-These traits set them apart from everyone else
-Enables them to take control or assume authority
-Emphasizes charisma - Greek work for gift
-Time will reveal the Great Man when it is necessary
-Great leaders are ‘heroes’ for their nation, society, culture or organization
-When you ‘Zoom Out’ in history, you are left with larger than life characters
-Theory does not delve into extensive detail or backstory
-Inherent belief that those in power deserve to be in power due to the traits
and position they were born with or were born into

4. Main Proponents of Great Man Theory
-Mid-19th Century theory proposed by Thomas Carlyle
-Began as a series on Heroism that evolved into a book
-‘History is nothing more than a collection of biographies belonging to
Great Men’
-Inspired by Napoleon, as he was living during his reign
-Not a universally accepted theory, for good reason
-Modern political leaders enjoy utilizing the Great Man theory

5. Great Man Theory by Thomas Carlyle Summarized
1.Leaders are gifts of God to mankind. A measure of divinity is attributed to leaders and their actions.
2.Everyone cannot aspire to become a leader and to attain greatness. We are not all born with the same ‘stuff’.
3.The inborn leadership qualities alone are necessary and sufficient for a leader to exercise influence over his
followers and to become successful.
4.Leadership qualities and effectiveness are independent variables. Situational factors like the nature and needs of
followers, the demands of task and the general socio economic environment have little or no influence on a leader’s
emergence or effectiveness.
5.The theory discounts the belief that individuals can be trained for assuming leadership positions and roles.
Leadership qualities cannot be transmitted through education and exposure.
6.Ability to capture the imagination of the masses.
7.Assumes that all leaders in history would be good leaders for all situations.

6. Different Historical Archetypes of Great Man Theory
1.Hero as Divinity - Religious figures and Classic Mythology
2.Prophet - Isaiah, Ezekiel
3.Poet - Shakespeare, Wordsworth
4.Priest - Martin Luther
5.Man of Letters - Rousseau, Hobbes, Locke
6.King or Political Ruler - Napoleon, Oliver Cromwell, Donald Trump

7. Great Man Theory led to recognizable traits
-Leaders tend to have similar personality traits or characteristics
-Great Man Theory led to Trait Theory
-Trait Theory is quite general - there are a lot of words that describe
people
-Eventually narrowed down to 16 traits that leaders tend to possess
-This led to personality groupings which evolved into the Big 5
Personality Traits Theory

8. Big Five Personality Traits Theory
-Closely associated with Great Man Theory
-Commonality of personality traits in history
-Lots of assumptions being made in both theories about Nature vs Nurture
Big Five Personality Traits
1.Extraversion: the tendency to be outgoing, assertive, and active
2.Agreeableness: the tendency to be kind and trustworthy
3.Conscientiousness: determined by achievement and dependability
4.Neuroticism: the tendency to be anxious and fearful
5.Openness to experiences: the tendency to be creative and perceptive

Both theories focus on inherited traits at birth, rather than any coachable or developable skill sets in leaders.

9. Any underlying beliefs or assumptions about human nature
-People are static in their development
-Leaders are born fully developed and prepared
-You are born with the traits that you will have for life. No one else can be leaders
-As our understanding of leadership grew, so did the science researching it
-There are consistent ruling classes and subservient classes throughout history. History
is the story of constant class struggle.
-How human beings are motivated, inspired or develop themselves
-Is leadership a situational trait or an overall human trait?

-Discounts the concept of ‘history from below’, where there are small waves of events
that create their own leaders

10. Pros of the Great Man Theory



-Great theory for Monarchy or Dictators, not for educators
-Provides stability through strength or fear
-Is viewed positively if you are born into ruling class and have the ‘appropriate’
leadership traits

11. Cons of the Great Man Theory

-Herbert Spencer, a noted biologist, sociologist, philosopher and political theorist of the Victorian era,
‘countered that the Great Man Theory was childish, primitive and unscientific.’
-Great Man Theory does not stand up to Scientific rigour
-Spencer believed leaders were products of their environment and not born with all required traits.
-Leaders are solely products of their social environments
-If we are connecting leadership to traits, what happens to those born with leadership traits but not the
position? Would all these people find themselves in leadership roles eventually?
-Many Great Men achieved their leadership positions through birthright
-Many of the traits sighted are considered more masculine traits, rather than universal human traits
-Not scientifically rigorous, relies on innate superiority or birth or social hierarchy
-No room for women to be leaders
-Not many positives associated with this theory. Is useful to authoritarians and despots.

12. Outcome of Great Man Leadership Theory
-Not based on theory at all. Based on historical observations.
-Great man theory began as lectures that were turned into a book
-Looks at traits of leaders throughout history
-No room for growth or development in humans
-Upper class remains in control
-Lower classes provide for them
-Little social capital or movement between the different classes
-No room for women, as the theory is almost 200 years old
-Reinforces cultural and leadership stereotypes
-Little room in education for this leadership model
-Hopefully little room in society for this leadership model as well

13. Citations
Spencer, H. The Study of Sociology. Appleton, 1874
Spector BA. Carlyle, Freud, and the Great Man Theory more fully considered. 2015;12(2):250-260.
The Great Man Theory of Leadership Explained. Villanovau.com. (n.d.). Retrieved May 2, 2022, from
https://www.villanovau.com/resources/leadership/great-man-theory/
The Big Five Personality Traits. https://www.simplypsychology.org/big-five-personality.html. (1970, January 1) Retrieved May 2,
2022, from https://www.simplypsychology.org/big-five-personality.html
Worthy, L. D., Lavigne, T., & Romero, F. (2020, July 27). Trait theory. Culture and Psychology. Retrieved May 3, 2022, from
https://open.maricopa.edu/culturepsychology/chapter/trait-theory/