How can a leader effectively influence others? Solomon Asch's Conformity Theory dictates that individuals often conform to group norms, even if they conflict with their own judgment and views. Throughout history, this human urge to conform has contributed to the rise of many extremist political movements, as witnessed in the dark chapters of Nazi Germany. This phenomenon, also known as herd mentality, is a prevalent tactic used by effective leaders in order to control the masses. This occasionally leads to the emergence of figures who abuse their positions of authority. Countless cult leaders, such as Jim Jones of the People's Temple, employ this communal mentality in order to become influential figures who have a profound impact on their …show more content…
It employs a cult leader's charisma and manipulation to control the individual autonomy of their followers. Take, for example, Keith Raniere, the leader of the NXIVM cult, who expertly utilized these techniques to maintain control over his followers. NXIVM, initially marketed as a self-help organization, gained notoriety for its secretive practices and allegations of exploitation. Within this organization, Raniere employed a combination of positive reinforcement and manipulation to shape the beliefs and behaviours of his followers. Through charismatic speeches and promises of personal growth and empowerment, Raniere offered positive reinforcement to those who demonstrated unwavering loyalty and obedience to him. This reinforcement was often accompanied by praise, attention, and opportunities for advancement within the organization. Conversely, Raniere employed negative reinforcement by instilling fear of punishment or social isolation in those who questioned his authority or showed signs of dissent. This fear of punishment was reinforced through tactics such as public humiliation, verbal abuse, or threats of expulsion from the group. Additionally, Raniere employed techniques like gaslighting and manipulation to further control his followers' thoughts and behaviours. However, the consequences of psychological conditioning extend far beyond mere obedience to the leader's commands. Over time, the repeated reinforcement of certain behaviours and beliefs can lead to a profound erosion of individual autonomy among followers. As followers become increasingly reliant on the leader for validation and direction, they may relinquish their critical thinking skills and capacity for independent decision-making. This loss of autonomy is compounded by the group dynamics cultivated within the cult, where dissent is discouraged and conformity
In Gardiner’s excerpt, Hatshepsut was showcased as a deviation from his original topic of discussion, Thutmose II and III. Made out to be a sudden, minor and unfair oddity that occurred during Thutmose III’s reign, her rise to power is not something Gardiner discusses in detail (Gardiner 1961:181-2). When explaining the end of Hatshepsut’s reign, he immediately continues Thutmose III’s narrative since it is then that he finally becomes “free” of his step-mother, who he “hated” for putting in the background (Gardiner 1961:182, 188). Thutmose III is clearly the active, and more important, subject here. This differs from Robins, who stresses that her rise to power could been done on a whim as well as something not done for solely selfish reasons (Robins 1993:47). Gardiner also states that Hatshepsut “required” masculine support in order to succeed, while Robins stresses the roles of other female royalty, like her mother Ahmose Neferari and her daughter Neferura, in the past (Gardiner 1961:184) (Robins 1993:46, 48). As such, it is probable that an author’s opinion regarding to whom Hatshepsut’s success is owed quite accurately indicates how much of a biased
Denisco & Barker, (2016) discusses the foundation of leadership and the four conceptual pillars that comprise it. Understanding the leadership is a responsibility of an APN, the following final question was posed to Ms. Gordner. “Of the four pillars of leadership; professionalism, inspirational motivation, interpersonal relationships, and business skills, do you feel that one is more important than another, and why?” She responded,
During World War 2, Hitler is able to gain popularity by manipulating the German people's’ minds and using mod mentality so the German people “know what their eyes are telling them, [but] they choose to ignore it, and go along with the group to belong to the group,” (ABC News 23). People choose to ignore what they see and go with the crowd because they believe that the crowd is always right. This is not always the case because when the Germans follow Hitler, it ensues in chaos. When people become part of a group, they worry about the groups needs and not the individuals. They also can tend to all think alike causing them to lose their independent thoughts. In virtue of this, individuals can become violent and rowdy because a single member of the group is, making everyone else feel that it's okay. Similar to both sources, herd behavior can have a negative affect, even if the victims are not involved directly. Comparably in the story “A Very Old Man with Enormous WIngs” written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, an angel falls
A cult is defined as a small group of people that do not adhere to the larger widely accepted belief system, instead they are often regarded to have extreme or dangerous beliefs (Cult). Cult leaders engage in many different methods and actions to gain their followers. Some cults last for a long period, others end shortly after creation. Cults nevertheless hold a stigma that brings terror and confusion to many outsiders looking in. The public questions why people could become so consumed in someone else that they could bring themselves to take their own lives. Not all cults are the evils the public makes them out to be; they are not necessarily spotless institutions however. When one thinks of a cult, they imagine death, brainwashing, and simple human robots following the reincarnation of the devil. Not all cults end in mass suicide, violence, or terror; many religions once started as cults and have thrived since. However, some cults end in the expected display of death, confusion, and regret. Heaven’s Gate, led by Marshall Applegate, is one such example. Marshall Applegate invoked various methods of persuasion to gain followers, who in the end would commit suicide in attempts to reach their idea of heaven.
We live in a society where each individual has their own set of thoughts and beliefs. Occasionally one will modify their beliefs and behavior to coincide with a group. This is an example of social influence. Social influence has three main components; conformity, compliance and obedience. The concept of compliance is similar to conformity, however there is a slight difference. Compliance only requires a person to perform a task. The person does not have to agree or disagree with the assignment, just simply complete it. Conformity requires the person being influenced to change their attitudes and or beliefs. An example of this aspect of social psychology is the holocaust in World War II. Adolph Eichmann was a Nazi officer responsible for filling up death camps in Germany. After the war he went on trial in Jerusalem for crimes against the Jewish people, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. On May 31, 1962, he was sentenced to death for the horrible crimes he committed. His defense was "Why me? Why not the local policemen, thousands of them? They would have been shot if they had refused to round up the Jews for the death camps. Why not hang them for not wanting to be shot? Why me? Everybody killed the Jews". A few months after the start of Eichmann’s trial, Stanley Milgram instituted an experiment testing ones obedience to authority. He wanted to find out if good people could do atrocious things if they were just obeying authority. Was Eichmann and millions of others in Nazi Germany decent people who were just following orders? Some other famous experiments that have taken place to test the waters of social psychology are Philip Zimbardo’s Stanford prison experiment and Solomon Asch’s conformity experiments, all ...
There are numerous different kinds of social groups in the world, but clearly not all of them are cults. So what makes a cult a cult? [So where is the distinction?] Where is the metaphorical line drawn and what has to be done to cross it? Cult psychological experts Joseph Salande and David Perkins say the differences between a cult and a group are the methods of control and the negative effects on its members (Salande and Perkins 382). They define cults as “groups that often exploit members psychologically
Society strives to feel a sense of belonging. We want to be a part of something that shares the same beliefs as us. We spend our time trying to place ourselves in a group to satisfy these needs, whether it is in a hobby club, a group of friends, or religion. Some people go to more extreme measures and find this in what we call a cult. According to Henslin, a cult is a new or different religion whose teachings and practices put it at odds with the dominant culture and religion. (2013:405) Cults are often identified with the ideas of mass murder, deviant behaviors, unusual beliefs, and extremely devoted members. Cults are also highly known for their leaders. The leaders of cults usually are the ones that portray the image for the entire group. Successful cults take a strong-minded and, according to Max Weber, charismatic leader.
Transformational leadership also integrates well with a biblical worldview because both advocate valuing followers as well as leaders, the importance of ethical behavior, the need to forgive and learn from mistakes, and the value of a high moral example. Kouzes and Posner advocate leaders having a “moral authority to lead” (2007, p. 41), practicing personal accountability and working to improve all aspects of their follower’s lives. This others-centered leadership approach fits well in the Christ centered atmosphere of a Christian school.
Cults can be dangerous as manipulative strategies are used to control large groups of people into behaviour they may not usually be comfortable with. A cult is a counterculture that is an extremist group usually lead by religion and a charismatic leader (Winner 2011:417). Counterculture is the rejection of popular norms and values and replaces them with extreme views on violence, family and loyalty (Winner 2011:417). Cult leaders often preach about religious history as they take it very seriously. Usually, these religious views guide the bizarre behaviour and conformity within the cult. Anthropologists see cults as a way for people to find self-identity and belonging within a group which they are not receiving from outside of the group.
Leadership is being able to direct or guide other people by either your own actions or by actually guiding them into the right direction (Acumen). Inspiration to be a leader might come from many different areas like your family, friends, peers, or even teachers. My inspiration didn’t really occur to me until I started attending college in August 2013. In all actuality I never even thought of how to be a leader until I was in Mrs. Moore’s Perspectives class. I now have a desire to be a great leader, and the inspiration has come from Mrs. Moore, and my family. I am the first to attend college out of my family, so in a away I have already started leading my siblings in the right direction. Being a leader means inspiring others to pursue their dreams, and aspirations and helping throughout the journey to success. Being a leader has nothing with authority or being able to tell other what, and how to do things, it’s about having people who look up to you and want to follow your example.
To consider a social group as a cult, it must meet certain criteria. According to Robert Jay Lifton a professor of Psychiatry at Harvard University, there are three criterions a group must possess to be considered a cult. First, the leader of the cult is worshipped and is more important than the beliefs. Thought reform must take place usually by confessions from group members and criticism of members by the leader. The third criterion is that there must be heavy exploitation of group members by the leader or other members in authoritative positions. Exploitation most commonly is of a sexual or economic nature (“I Escaped A Cult: Episode 1”). According to the American Journal of Psychotherapy, another criterion is; cults often operate under a premise that the world is bad and the cult is good (Salande, and Perkins 382). If these criteria are met, then a group may be considered a cult.
Probation and Parole Revocation The idea of due process also known as procedural fairness is a constitutional right that is mentioned in both the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. This right is guaranteed to those under the custody of the correctional system despite their status. A probationer or parolee must be afforded the proper due process if the system is to be impartial.
...adership Practices in Relation to Productivity and Morale." In D. Cartwright and A. Zander, Group Dynamics: Research and Theory, 2nd ed. (Elmsford, NY: Row, Paterson, 1960)
The idiom "Birds of a feather flock together" according to, A Dictionary of American Idioms states "People who are alike often become friends or are together; if you are often with certain people, you may be their friends or like them" (Makkai, Boatner, Gates, 1995). This paper will focus on the social influence of groups, the dynamics in regard to, formation of groups, concept of in-group, out-group homogeneity, and illusory correlation. The in-group discussed here is the Germans and the out-group, the Jews. This ethnocentric view of "us" the good ones and "them" the bad. How conformity, obedience, and compliance to authority within a group specifically during WW II parallels Stanley Milgram’s obedience study. Irving Janis’ term groupthink allowed Hitler’s "leadership style, group cohesion and crisis combine to suppress dissent within his in-groups to such a degree that group members end up supporting polices (norms) that are extraordinarily ill considered " (Baron, Kerr, & Miller, 1992). This thinking allowed the dehumanizing norm that continued the genocide by Hitler’s subordinates. They obeyed authority even though cognitive dissonance existed. Demonstrating how people can act like sheep in subordinate roles. The use of propaganda by Hitler enhanced Germany’s ethnocentric beliefs.
Many people associate leadership with a specific job title or form of power within an organization. However, through personal experience, I have concluded that leadership can come in many forms and position as well as from multiple sources of roles and job titles both with and without power. Based on the definition of leadership, anyone can be considered a leader as long as they have the ability to influence people to achieve a particular result or goal which benefits the organization or group as a whole. Individuals with a secure sense of self and understanding, acceptance of diversity within an organization tend to be the strongest leaders that not only make others want to follow, but they also encourage other leaders to gravitate to their