Intelligence should be the primary qualification for leadership. After examining the novel Animal Farm, written by George Orwell, and historical leaders, one may realize that all leaders possess intelligence, and it is often their biggest asset in leading others. First, an analysis of Animal Farm will show that intelligence was the pigs defining quality, and further analysis will show that the pigs intelligence acted as their biggest tool in leading the other animals. Second, one may examine many of history's most famous leaders, such as Winston Churchill or Adolf Hitler, and one may realize that they all utilize intelligence as well.
In Animal Farm, the pigs are first given the leadership position by the other animals, as shown here, "The work of teaching and organising the others fell naturally upon the pigs, who were generally recognised as being the cleverest of the animals." As shown by the text, the other animals must respect the pigs intelligence, and must value it over all other qualities, as the pigs were given the leadership position. If a different quality was more important, that quality would have been recognized and the animal with that quality would have been
…show more content…
We are likely to find that they all had the gift of intellect, and they all used that gift to achieve their goals. Without such intellect, these leaders likely couldn't have lead. Winston Churchill is widely regarded as a World War Two hero, and one of the leaders of the allied movement. His great strategy, and his ability to convince others to unite under his strategy, lead the allies to victory. Winston's ability to create brilliant tactics, and to sell those tactics to others, come from his intellect. He was smart enough to strategize, and smart enough to give powerful speeches that gave him a wide following. Great speeches are a product of intellect, showing that Churchill could not have accomplished the things that he did without such
Being uneducated affected all the animals in a very negative way by resulting in the animals getting looked down upon. The pigs were known to be superior and the uneducated animals were looked at as the “working class”. Being educated had plenty of benefits such as all of the pigs took their meals into the kitchen to eat, the pigs even used the drawing room as a recreation room and they even slept in the beds, which breaks one of the seven commandments. “Nevertheless, some of the animals were disturbed when they heard that the pigs not only took their meals in the kitchen and used the drawing room as a recreation room, but they also slept in the beds.”(66). This quote specifically explained how the educated or the superior animals got more benefits over the non educated animals. The pigs got all of the power on the farm which left no power or rights to all of the other non educated animals on the farm.
Great leaders are found on both sides of history, the good side and the bad. Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler were both good leaders, even though they were on different sides of the war. Churchill and Hitler, although very different were both effective leaders because they evaluate and understand the other side’s strengths and weaknesses and are underestimated. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing side is important during war because it means that one is able to use his opponent’s weaknesses against him during war, whether it is military or political. For example, Hitler was very good at using his opponents’ weaknesses against them, and this is evident by how fast he was able to invade Europe. The magnitude of Hitler’s
In addition, both Animal Farm and The Lord of the Rings clearly demonstrate the danger of giving too much power to even the most (at least seemingly) intelligent, trustworthy or well intentioned of individuals. In Animal Farm, this is demonstrated by the pigs’ rise to power. After the revolution, the pigs – Napoleon and Snowball in particular – quickly assume a leadership role. None of the other animals have a problem with this, feeling that “with their superior knowledge it was natural that [the pigs] should assume the leadership” (Animal Farm, 23). As the government of pigs, led by Napoleon, begin taking more and more liberties to benefit themselves, the other animals continually allow themselves to be convinced that the pigs are acting
Leaders posses a variety of personality traits, but there are only a few traits that define a great leader.
Leadership has always been a diligently studied subject; the art and science of being an effective leader is something that most people would like to successfully cultivate. However, reading every book on the subject does not guarantee successful leadership – it only assists in the understanding of how others flourished in their methods. A technique that worked in one situation may reap havoc on another – such as Spartacus taking over as the leader of the people in India instead of Ghandi. The key to leading is understanding the circumstances you are in and the kind of behavior that will secure covenantal followers. Furthermore, even if an individual was not born with specific personality traits that are advantageous to potential leaders, if
After the Animal Revolution the pigs take the initiative and place themselves in charge because of their claim of having higher intelligence. Over time this power begins to distort the basis of their revolt by recreating the same social situation they were previously in. “When the pigs takeover they claim that their goal is to preside a farm of equal animals, all working together to support one another, yet power quickly proves too much for a pig.” Though the animals originally took over the farm to increase the animal’s independence as a whole, because of the pig’s superiority they soon take the place of the humans further limiting their independence.
Leaders must dominate intelligence in order to be a great leader. In an article called, “Who was Rosie the Riveter?: The American Factory Woman of World War II,” it stated “Rosie was the modern factory girl - a woman who could effortlessly bridge the gap between masculine and feminine.” This quote supports the topic that Rosie the Riveter was intelligent because she can effortlessly do things. This shows that being intelligent is essential in a leader. Mankind perceives that one needs to be clever in order to be a great leader. Consequently, intelligence is a big part in being a successful
Although, there are some leaders who are born “natural-born leaders” many must learn the skills to become a successful leader. Every leader has natural strong traits as well as weak areas that need improving. A leader becomes stronger while using their natural talents as well as building on their weaker ones.
Intelligence is related to leadership because it require a level of intelligence to influence others successfully. One needs to be able to gather, create, and interpret a lot of information to create a vision or plan. Also, communicate the vision or plan in such a way that others
In George Orwell’s Animal Farm we get a glimpse of a strange switch in totalitarian rule. From Mr. Jones a cruel farmer who feeds his animals to little and works them to hard, to Napolean a pig that will have you killed for a bottle of liquor. Through stupidity, narrow mindedness and pure cowardice of some animals we view the inevitable as the farm animals become ruled by pigs. Old Major probably not the first animal to think of as an animal to ruin a utopia for the farm, is in most cases not a favored example to contribute to the pigs takeover. This pig finally near the end of his better than average life chose to create a rebellion against the then in power Mr. Jones. A truly justifiable act executed in a time to late, for Major died to soon to lead the farm. If Old Major had summed up an ounce of courage in his closer to piglet years further and earlier then his dying days the animals might have had a chance of a better life. Old Major can be seen as him being a late coward having what is thought on the farm to be a good life trying to end it a false legend or maybe Old Major was a slow hero wanting to leave a better life for his friends. Still though we should agree that for Old Major’s failing action or neglect was the time he chose to start a rebellion, in the few days before he died.
As a growing debate, the question at hand is whether great leaders are born with specific leadership traits, or if one can be taught certain traits over time. According to (Wikipedia.com) the approach of listing leadership qualities, often termed "trait theory of leadership", assumes certain traits or characteristics will tend to lead to effective leadership. I believe that leadership traits such as honest, competent, initiative, inspiring, hardworking, intelligent, and the ability to lead the masses, are some of the leadership traits one should possess. Within this paper, I will examine the overall concept of leadership traits, while observing the traits that were, or can be associated with successful leaders.
Animal Farm is really shaped by the leadership. I don’t think they would have accomplished half of what they did if Snowball and the pigs hadn’t stepped up and taken charge, but the power was their downfall. Watership Down is also shaped by leadership. They are such similar books in how they’re written and how the story goes. If Hazel hadn’t realized that Fiver was telling the truth and gone through with finding rabbits to leave with them(p.g. 9), the story would have been much shorter. Also, there is such a variety of kinds of leadership in Watership Down, which makes the book more interesting.
Leaders are not always to be trusted, and this is highlighted in the novel Animal Farm by George Orwell as the message of the text. In Animal Farm, leadership is represented through the actions and personalities of the various characters as a powerful, but easily corruptible force. The Leaders of Animal Farm start off with good intentions but as the story goes on it becomes obvious the leaders have grown power-hungry and have become the ‘superior’ animals, showing that equality does not exist. Propaganda and manipulation play a big part in the novel, stopping the animals from protesting or noticing that their leader was extremely greedy and corrupted. There are excellent leaders as well as awful ones, making it hard to know who to trust in, who to believe and what to do, after all leaders are hard to go against, but a corrupted leader is never a good thing.
To be a good leader requires a lot of attention and focus as well as the ability to say what nobody wants to hear. Not only this, but the ability to speak well in front of large demanding crowds of people and to be able to hold their attention for prolonged amounts of time. "For certainly no one can deny
To be a good leader you must be strong-minded, but more importantly you have to be intelligent. Someone who is smart can back up his or her statements with fact. If someone is intelligent people are more likely to listen to their ideas before someone who is less intelligent. If one is intelligent they have the ability to instruct a group properly. And if one is intelligent they can organize all of the groups projects better the a less intelligent person.