Singaporean Kids Idolizing Hitler
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Thank you, earthlings - now we're on the track of discussing leadership models.
From a historical perspective of leadership studies, early researchers looked at the trait model. However, since no set of leader traits can be agreed upon, this approach has generally been dropped.
Next, we have the behavioural approach, characterised by a 4X4 grid consisting of the dimensions of concern for production (i.e. accompliching the mission) and concern for people. By the loosest of terms, Hitler can be said to pass on the concern for production dimension, although the mission was his and his alone. He definitely fails on the concern for people, since he reigned by terror - can anybody say Eastern Front?
Fiedler's Contingency Theory focuses on motivation either towards the task or towards the relationships between leaders and people. Again, because the Brown Shirts and later the SS were used to coerce the people into doing his bidding, Hitler fails on both counts.
According to Path-Goal Theory, a leader can either be 1) directive (providing guidance, NOT orders), 2) supportive, 3) participative or 4) achievement-oriented (setting standards to inspire followers, not coercing them). On all four counts, Hitler's style fails.
Finally, we have what a number of people have proposed, charismatic leadership. A charasmatic leader can get followers to either:
1) trust the correctness of the leader's beliefs;
2) feel affection to the leader and obey the leader willingly;
3) feel an emotional involvement in the mission they are led to do.
To some extent, Hitler may be argued to have gotten some of the people, more within the upper echelons than amongst the common people, to feel emotional involvement.
As already mentioned in the wikipedia quote, the following in Germany is ONE standard by which Hitler can be argued to be an effective leader, and that was achieved through force rather than inspiration.
Overall, looking at the established theories in leadership studies, I think it's fairly clear that by most accounts, Hitler does not count as a great, or even good, leader. -
By the way, the above is a scrunched-down version of the leadership studies field, adapted for public consumption. Also, it's been years since I did anything with leadership theories, so do pardon me if I'm a bit rusty.
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ah.. interesting.. i have more exposure to bruce avolio's model of full range leadership..Originally posted by Gedanken:By the way, the above is a scrunched-down version of the leadership studies field, adapted for public consumption. Also, it's been years since I did anything with leadership theories, so do pardon me if I'm a bit rusty.
which focus very much on the leadership style itself.. =P
i've lost touched of these models myself and it's getting late.. will discuss wif u another day.. =p