Leadership of Winston Churchill, Essay Example

Introduction

The humanity has seen many outstanding leaders who led their nation or their group on the path of their development, victory and prosperity. Each of them possessed his or her own genius, but the main trait that united all of them was that they had unique possibilities for uniting people, for inspiring them and to make them believe in their power and authority. Winston Churchill was one of such outstanding personalities who marked the 20^th century with their birth and activity. Churchill led his British Empire in the period of the Second World War and made the worldwide important decisions as soon as the war was over. Winston Churchill led various state activities in the country that trusted him, and managed to achieve the tremendous progress for his nation during his lifetime.

There can hardly be anyone who will not accept the fact that Churchill fairly deserves his significant place in the world history – being a strong politician, a wise statesman and a skilled soldier, he also managed to do art and to reflect his inner personality through diverse kinds of activities, thus proving that a true leader is not born but made (Churchill leadership traits, 2007).

“One of Winston Churchill’s chief attributes as a leader was his capability of inspiring people, regardless of seemingly ominous circumstances.  The source of this inspiration was his own character.  Churchill perpetually demonstrated enthusiasm, determination, and optimism—if not at all times in private, then at least always in public” (Churchill: Leader and Statesman, n.d.).

Judging from this point, it is possible to suppose that Winston Churchill can surely be considered an example of a genuine, pure leader in the way he worked, lived and fought for the rights of his nation. However, to under this for sure and to identify the key points that may help to prove Churchill’s style of activities was really a leader’s one, it is necessary to observe generally adopted leadership traits and to compare them with the revelation thereof in Churchill’s life.

Description of Leadership

The main concept that Clark (1997) introduces when speculating over leadership is that a leader is made but not born. This assumption can be well justified by the fact that true leaders, even if they have the in-born charisma and charm, determination and courage, still have to work much on their perfection to be able to communicate their message to their followers.

“Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Leaders carry out this process by applying their leadership attributes, such as beliefs, values, ethics, character, knowledge, and skills” (Clark, 1997).

Clark (1997) states that there is a set of indispensible characteristics that the leader has to possess in order to become a real one. Among the most relevant ones it is needed to recollect the ability to communicate the vision of the leader, to be trustworthy and to make sound and timely decisions. A genuine leader should also be able to provide motivation and give the direction to his followers. And, speaking about Winston Churchill as about a great leader who he surely was, it is important to remember that a great leader should be able to inspire a shared vision for his followers, to model the way for them to follow the path designed by him and to encourage their heart to follow his goal (Clark, 1997).

Non-Nursing Leadership

Having a look at the traits of a leader mentioned by Clark (1997), one should apply them to the life of Winston Churchill to see how well he managed to embody them in his activities. First of all, one should understand the period of time in which Churchill lived and reigned the British Empire – it was the gloomy, sad and complicated period for the whole world when Nazism tried to take over the power over the community and to conduct genocide over millions of people. It was the time when the world leaders had to act decisively and firmly to restore piece and stability in the world. This is why Churchill is fairly credited with such leadership traits as energy, self-belief, vision and decisiveness in his actions: “He questioned all aspects of military policy, obliging his commanders to justify their strategies in great detail” (Churchill: The war leader, n.d.).  Churchill’s charisma and communication skills also gave a wonderful advantage for Great Britain the war, especially in the issue of negotiations with the USA: “If he couldn’t get America to fight, then at least he could persuade Roosevelt to give material help” (Churchill: The war leader, n.d.).

His courage and creativity made much for the success in the war, and he achieved the goals for his nation and for the world:

“The decision to open up another front in North Africa by attacking Italian-held territory was a bold one. But it drew German forces into a desert conflict they were eventually too stretched to prosecute effectively” (Churchill: The war leader, n.d.).

Summary

There is absolutely no doubt that Winston Churchill represented a kind of leader that should be followed, admired and understood in the course of his activities. He achieved the most desirable aim of all leaders – not only to guide his nation by the authoritative power he had due to his position, but to inspire them in hearts and to motivate them from the inside to achieve the stipulated goal. The efficient action during the war, the post-war activities of Winston Churchill, his firmness and determination in the course of his career as a politician and a statesman together with the diversity of his inner self created a unique blend that left an unforgettable trace in the half of the 20^th century.

References

Churchill: Leader and Statesman (n.d.). The Churchill Center and Museum at the Cabinet War Rooms, London. Retrieved February 10, 2010, from http://www.winstonchurchill.org/learn/biography/biography/churchill-leader-and-statesman

Churchill leadership traits (2007). Winston Churchill Leadership Site. Retrieved February 10, 2010, from http://www.winston-churchill-leadership.com/ leadership-traits.html

Churchill: The War Leader (n.d.). Retrieved February 10, 2010, from http://uktv.co.u k/yesterday/item/aid/569643

Clark, D. (1997). Concepts of Leadership. Retrieved February 10, 2010, from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadcon.html