Political Morality And Leadership Lessons - 2220 Words

Discussions about political morality and leadership often lead differences of opinion over the means to attaining them even in the face of numerous consensuses about the nature and scope of the end itself. This means that most commentators on the issue disagree on many philosophical or procedural bases but yet agree on some. A classic example of this dualism is represented in the leadership lessons covered by Cicero, on the one hand, and Machiavelli on the other. Whereas their lessons are fundamentally divergent in many regards, there are some subtle points of implicit convergence. The purpose of this essay is to assess with a comparison and contract of the lessons as found by the assigned writings of Cicero and Machiavelli. Both of these books providers time-tested theories and assertions that have been used to obtain and sustain power and leadership. One of the points of convergence in the leadership lessons offered by both philosophers is the appreciation of the role of fate or accident that occurs when one is thrust into a power position. Whereas both do not underestimate the role of personal attributes and dedication in attaining these positions, they strongly hold the position that chance and fate can be a major contributor to one’s ascendance to power. Cicero, for instance, argues that â€Å"chance or opportunity thrusts upon the individual† when it comes to attaining kingdoms, command, high offices, nobility, property and wealth (Cicero, 1951). He further contendsShow MoreRelatedLeadership Qualities Of Nelson Mandela875 Words   |  4 PagesAfrica, Mandela was treasured for his outstanding leadership style, wisdom, motivational behavior, and courage of bringing people together to live in harmony. Leadership refers to the ability of motivating and influencing individuals towards attaining specific targets, while ethics depicts moral values that govern individual’s conduct to maintain constancy and order (Chasi, Levy, 2016, p.11). As a good leader, Mandela established his leadership styles and with a visionary mind and inspired theRead MoreHuman Control And Its Effects On Modern Society1458 Words   |  6 Pagesthat when human control is given, the best outcomes result when humans act selflessly instead of selfishly. According to Livy, therefore, historical knowledge helps us develop a more collectivistic view of our modern society in order to maintain morality in them. The story of Horatius Cocles clearly shows that courage persists when it’s done through unselfishness. While in the midst of the Janiculum being under attack during a battle between Rome and the Etrusctan army, Horatius Cocles sacrificedRead MoreMadeleine Later Became Deputy Secretary Of Education In1554 Words   |  7 Pagespoliticians. Women and Leadership is a chapter in the book that looks at two forms of leadership and the ways women define themselves as leaders. Madeleine talks about a study that was done by James MacGregor Burns that divides leadership into two categories. Transactional leadership which requires the ability to obtain results and transformational leadership which is when leaders engage with a follower in such ways that both parties are raised to high levels of motivation and morality (page 60). The studyRead MorePearls, Power And Politics. Madeleine Kunin Is Known As1674 Words   |  7 Pagespoliticians. Women and Leadership is a chapter in the book that looks at two forms of leadership and the ways women define themselves as leaders. Madeleine talks about a study that was done by James MacGregor Burns that divides leadership into two categories. Transactional leadership which requires the ability to obtain results and transformational leadership which is when leaders engage with a follower in such ways that both parties are raised to high levels of motivation and morality (60). The study concludedRead MoreNiccolo Machiavelli s The Prince864 Words   |  4 PagesMachiavelli’s The Prince, guided me to become a better leader. Some consider him as an opportunist or manipulative, while others like me see him as a great influence in the history of politics. Moreover, I learned four leadership lessons from his book and applied them to my life. I chose these lessons because I feel that they are ultimately important for anyone ruling a country or trying to become a successful leader. For instance, to be feared is key to ruling, princes must avoid making themselves hated byRead MoreAncient Greeks and Leaders Today1114 Words   |  5 PagesAncient Greeks and Leaders Today WHAT LESSONS DO THE ANCIENT GREEKS TEACH US ABOUT THE ROLE OF PERSONAL CHARACTER IN A GOOD NATIONAL LEADER? Leaders of heroic stature In his Theogeny, Hesiod describes and compares the leadership of Chronos and Zeus where one is a Titan and the other is a god. Chronos leads the Titans with a strong hand and dictatorial rule while Zeus is more democratic in listening to the gods. In addition, Chronos eats his children representing how bad leaders will destroyRead MoreEthical Failures Of A Professional Work Environment920 Words   |  4 Pagesbrief meeting encapsulates the impedance of group thinking. This concept of groupthink, as an impediment, is one of the first important lessons we learned from this disaster. One large red flag we found in this situation was the political pressure as the most superior role in the chain of command. This became an enormous pressure on every person in a leadership position, as it made their decision directly related to the reelection of a president, as well as their nation s pursuit of space travelRead MorePerspective on Death in the Play Everyman Essays1344 Words   |  6 Pagesmay have been written many years ago, but its lessons are still relevant today. Generally, the facts of death are very traumatizing and in fact unthinkable. This leads the modern day Everyman to ignore its significance, dying without acknowledging or reflecting on their lives here on earth. It is based on this fact that this paper aims to show the position of the author of the play â€Å"Everyman† regarding death. History of the Play Like many other morality- allegorical plays, Everyman, fits in as theRead MoreGeorge Tenet the Last Great Days of the Cia1273 Words   |  6 Pagesmany times of late, most notably in the climate change area. (Environmental Leader. 2009) LESSONS There are two glaring lesions from this case study public administrators can learn from and change going forward. The first is to appoint well qualified, experienced people to high level positions, particularly cabinet positions. Every President, including Obama, lacks in this area because of political promises made for election or legislation. (Farnum. 2012) While Tenet was effective in a numberRead MoreAnalysis Of Octavia Butler s Series Of The Parables1508 Words   |  7 Pagesinterdisciplinary course of study, which allowed me to foster my understanding of the global society, the complexities of intercultural interactions, and the ability to apply political theories to interpret one situation from multiple perspectives. When choosing the topic for my senior thesis, I was torn between delving into a political crisis or taking the opportunity to re-visit my love of literature in an academic framework. Speculative fiction is the crossroads I have found between my love of liter ature