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Psychology Of Leadership

Psychology of Leadership:
Four Foundational Beliefs

Leadership is Essential

Everyone understands that society cannot function without leaders, whether they are government officials, presidents, kings, queens, parliament, congress, local authorities—the list could go on. We also understand that leadership is not limited to the realm of politics. There are military, business, economic, social, religious, and popular culture leaders as well. Some of these leaders are known for their arrogance, while others are known for their humility; some have impeccable morality, while others dance publicly with immorality; others are noble and brave, while many are cowardly and weak. Some make great decisions; others make rash or reckless decisions.

If asked to name three great leaders, it would be easy to rattle off more than three times as many: Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa, Princess Diana, Ronald Reagan, Billy Graham, Oprah Winfrey, Major Richard Winters, and Bono. Such Biblical characters as Joseph, Nehemiah, Abraham, and Paul also come to mind. It would be equally as easy to name six terrible leaders who ruined or crippled nations, faiths, families, and cultures: Adolf Hitler, Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, Joseph Stalin, Kim Jong-il, Jim Jones, Fidel Castro, and Charles Manson, to name a few. Some people would go so far as to mention popular cultural icons such as Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, and Michael Vic. Biblically we think of Saul, the Pharisees, Sadducees, Ahab or Jezebel.

Leaders, whether great or not, leave undeniable impressions on everyone—those who lived during their leadership as well as those who only know their legacy. We all know that leaders exist because we see them, hear them, and learn about them through the media. But how often do we stop to ask what makes these individuals leaders? How do they maintain leadership? What makes one leader better than another? Can everyone be a leader? Simply asked,...