Leadership can be merely defined as “ the action of taking a group of people or an organisation, or the ability to make this ” . In the medieval ages, leaders rose and fell. And along with them, the destiny of their imperiums. Leadership was all about beat uping military personnels, raising fundss, converting the Lords and topics and triumph at the ultimate conflict which would guarantee capturing of new districts or protection of one ‘s already ours. Much has n’t changed centuries later, except possibly the tools and methods. Leadership in today ‘s organisation is still about beat uping employees, deriving fundss, acquiring the support of the board and stockholders and the ultimate move which would leader to greater market portion or act as a counter to one ‘s rivals moves. If in all these centuries, the rules have non changed much ; it merely makes common sense to derive from the lessons of classics which tell narratives of legendary leaders like Henry V, Julius Caesar, Macbeth and many more. Shakespeare describes in inside informations the events that shaped up the life of these leaders and uses several celebrated historical plants as his beginning.
About Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( baptized 26 April 1564 ; died 23 April 1616 ) was an English poet and dramatist, widely regarded as the greatest author in the English linguistic communication and the universe ‘s pre-eminent playwright. He is frequently called England ‘s national poet and the “ Bard of Avon ” . His lasting plants, including some coaction, consist of about 38 dramas, 154 sonnets, two long narrative verse forms, and several other verse forms. His dramas have been translated into every major life linguistic communication and are performed more frequently than those of any other dramatist
Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613. His early dramas were chiefly comedies and histories, genres he raised to the extremum of edification and prowess by the terminal of the sixteenth century. He so wrote chiefly calamities until about 1608, including Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest plants in the English linguistic communication. In his last stage, he wrote tragicomedies, besides known as love affairs, and collaborated with other dramatists.
Shakespeare was a well-thought-of poet and dramatist in his ain twenty-four hours, but his repute did non lift to its present highs until the nineteenth century. The Romantics, in peculiar, acclaimed Shakespeare ‘s mastermind, and the Victorians worshipped Shakespeare with a fear that George Bernard Shaw called “ bardolatry ” In the twentieth century ; his work was repeatedly adopted and rediscovered by new motions in scholarship and public presentation. His dramas remain extremely popular today and are invariably studied, performed and reinterpreted in diverse cultural and political contexts throughout the universe. [ 1 ]
Necessities Qualities of a Leader
Before we start with our analysis, it would do sense to place the qualities that are sought after or are indispensable in an effectual leader. A leader must foremost hold a vision and a program to acquire at that place. As Jack Welch, former president and CEO of General Electric Co. , said, “ Good concern leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision and unrelentingly drive it to completion. ” To make this, the leader must hold the ability to pass on his vision to his followings with passion and lucidity. The other of import traits normally agreed on are
Integrity
A leader must be an person who can be trusted to be honest, in control and do determinations in line with his values non merely during normal fortunes but besides during disruptive times.
Invention
A leader should hold a certain spot of creativeness in his mentality by which he can unbound himself from restraints and see solutions which may non be seeable to others.
Fairness in judgement
The leader should cover with others systematically and rightly and avoid jumping to decisions based on uncomplete grounds. By handling his followings reasonably, the leader would gain their trueness and dedication.
Motivation
Through motive the leader can do his followings to carry through enterprises that would hold been impossible for them otherwise. Motivation in certain fortunes has enabled people overcome incredible odds.
A “ alteration ” leader
The leader should hold a vision for the hereafter and the bravery to interrupt the bonds of conformance which could be curtailing advancement.
Humility
Humility is an indispensable property for a leader. No 1 is perfect, and other people may hold better thoughts. Humility allows a leader to make out and use all the accessible resources, viz. the other people in the organisation.
Communication accomplishments
A leader should non merely have the ability to lure his topics but besides the ability to listen. Through listening to the demands of his followings a leader can turn to them in a better manner. Understanding the demands and incentivizing them would ensue in superior attempt from the side of followings.
Most significantly, the leader should hold the bravery to set all these qualities into action and base by them when the consequences are non favourable in the immediate hereafter.
Among the many characters, Henry V and Macbeth are of curious involvement to us for our survey as both of them were work forces of great power and strength. But both of them used these powers and fortunes to really different terminals. By mapping the leading qualities antecedently mentioned on to these characters, we can acquire an apprehension of their personalities and their effectivity.
Henry the Fifth – Plot Overview
The drama is set in England and France in the early 15th century. The political state of affairs in England is tense: King Henry IV has died, and his boy, the immature King Henry V, has merely assumed the throne. Several acrimonious civil wars have left the people of England restless and disgruntled and antipathetic to any more struggles.
Henry lays claim to certain parts of France, based on his distant roots in the Gallic royal household and on a really proficient reading of ancient land Torahs. When the immature prince, or Dauphin, of France sends Henry an contemptuous message in response to these claims, Henry decides to occupy France. Supported by the English Lords and clergy, Henry gathers his military personnels for war. He rallies more support by deriving the approvals of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The English land in France, where they fight their manner across the state. Against unbelievable odds, they continue to win after suppressing the town of Harfleur, where Henry gives an ardent address to actuate his soldiers to triumph. Among the officers in King Henry ‘s ground forces are work forces from all parts of Britain, such as Fluellen, a Welsh captain. As the English progress, Bardolph, a close friend is caught plundering and are hanged at King Henry ‘s bid.
The flood tide of the war comes at the celebrated Battle of Agincourt, at which the English are outnumbered by the Gallic five to one. The dark before the conflict, King Henry disguises himself as a common soldier and mixes with the soldiers. In the forenoon, he prays to God and gives an inspiring address to his soldiers. Miraculously, the English win the conflict, and the proud Gallic must give up at last. Sometime subsequently, peace dialogues are eventually worked out with the undermentioned footings: Henry will get married Catherine, the girl of the Gallic male monarch. Henry ‘s boy will be the male monarch of France, and the matrimony will unify the two lands.
Henry the Fifth – Analysis of Leadership Qualities
Henry V was the war hero of one of the greatest conflicts of all times. The conflict of Agincourt is so important because the English won against overpowering odds against a numerically superior Gallic ground forces and turned the tide of the hundred twelvemonth ‘s war. Henry V is accredited with gestating this triumph. The English were outnumbered with lone 6000 work forces, no heavy foot or horse, were exhausted and on enemy district. While the Gallic had an ground forces of more than 30000 composed of the famed to a great extent armoured Gallic knights. By merely looking at the figures, the English stood no opportunity. But the result in world was really different. The English non merely won the twenty-four hours, but besides went on to capture France itself. How did Henry V manage this effort?
Henry ‘s presence among his military personnels and his leading accomplishments turned into a decisive competitory advantage which the French had non foreseen. By analysing his determination devising on the accomplishments mentioned before we find out how Henry managed to win non merely the conflict but besides the run from the beginning to the terminal.
Integrity
Henry displayed his equity of judgement and values on several occasions. Right from the minute he ascended the throne of England, he made it clear he would govern a united state and allow past differences be forgotten and many Lords whose rubrics were wrongly annexed by his predecessor were truly restored. Even before the start of the run, he sought counsel from the church sing the justification of his invasion of France. During the invasion Henry forbids his work forces from plundering Gallic belongings and from hassling Gallic citizens. He makes any misdemeanors punishable by decease.
Another illustration that stands out for Henry ‘s equity of judgement is when his childhood friend and imbibing comrade, Bardolph is caught stealing from a Gallic church. Bardolph is captured by one of the English soldiers and brought to Henry on horseback, tied up and severely beaten. Henry contemplates that the offense is minor and Bardolph did non acquire a opportunity to support himself. Besides on the Eve of the conflict, every soldier, particularly person every bit experienced as Bardolph is indispensable. But Henry still orders Bardolph to be hung. Henry refuses to compromise on his nucleus values, particularly in instance of those close to him, to put an illustration to both the English and Gallic people who he plans to govern in the hereafter.
In today ‘s universe of company moralss, values, favouritism and nepotism, this is a lesson lest be forgotten. It conveys a message to the leaders of today that values can non be compromised, non even a personal loss. A regulation one time communicated has to be honored at any cost. If the executive itself exudes such unity, it encourages, about forces the employees to be the same. The values flow more quickly from top to bottom in the organisation.
Invention
A good leader knows his strengths ; a great leader knows his failings. Henry knew he could non get the better of the Gallic ground forces in a conventional adult male on adult male battle. He used the external environment to his advantage. He stopped his ground forces on a elevated hill that was surrounded on either side by leaf and forced the Gallic to assail merely through a narrow and slushy way. In making so he successfully took away their Numberss advantage. Using the rainfall that had muddied the battleground to his advantage he made his bowmans to rain pointer after pointer on the progressing Gallic knights. The Gallic ground forcess, have oning heavy armour found it impossible to progress and were bogged down by their ain weight. The 1s who reached the other terminal did non even have the strength to raise themselves on their pess and were easy overpowered by the lightly armoured English soldiers.
Henry chose the long ranged longbow alternatively of the traditional crossbow. He ordered the targeting of the soldiers behind the front line killing the supports. Henry ‘s work forces with lances that were a pes longer than those used by the Gallic. This allowed them to strike the enemy before the enemy could make them. Henry was cognizant that his ground forces could non stand an onslaught of the Gallic horse and to halt the charge he made his work forces works crisp bets in the land. The bear downing knights were impaled on the bets and fell to the land, oppressing soldiers around them and barricading the way forward for others.
When the conflict drew to a stopping point, the Gallic had lost about 6,000 work forces including many Lords and leader, and the English lost around 400 uneven soldiers
Today ‘s executives need to estimate the external environment and utilize it to their ain advantage. Understanding the strengths and failing of the squad would enable them to take better determinations. Knowing that he could non win in a consecutive drawn out conflict caused Henry to introduce.
Motivation
Henry ‘s address at Agincourt before the conflict is among the most addresss to be of all time delivered. He speaks before his outnumbered and out armed work forces.
“ That he which hath no tummy to this battle,
Let him go ; his passport shall be made
And Crowns for convoy put into his bag:
We would non decease in that adult male ‘s company
That fears his family to decease with us…
Old work forces forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he ‘ll retrieve with advantages
What feats he did that twenty-four hours: so shall our names
Familiar in his oral cavity as family words
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups newly retrieve ‘d.
This narrative shall the good adult male learn his boy
And Crispin Crispian shall never travel by,
From this twenty-four hours to the stoping of the universe,
But we in it shall be remember ‘d ;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers ;
For he today that shed his blood with me
Shall be my brother. ”
He puts no irresistible impulse on any soldier to contend, leting the apostates to even transport with them valuables. The 1s that remain remain at that place by pick with the lone purpose of contending. He promises them that their names shall ne’er be forgotten and their workss will do them celebrated. The most motivative portion comes when he relates to them as being on of their ain, their brother. For a male monarch to state such a thing in feudal times was unheard of. But it merely brings his work forces closer to him and they feel he is one of their ain.
By making so, today ‘s foremans can assist their employees relate to them in a better mode. Once the leader is accepted as one of the people, the employees trust the leader much more. This makes determination doing a alteration execution much easier. The foreman can convey approximately much more drastic alterations and addition complete support of his squad.
A Change Leader
Henry, a male monarch of England has a right to occupy France. But he stills consults the Archbishop of Canterbury to legalize the run. By deriving the approvals of the church, the male monarch is assured of complete support from place in instance the run does non travel as planned. The other occasions where we see Henry interrupt free from norms of the twenty-four hours is when he himself commands the English forces unlike the Gallic male monarch who does non step pes on the battleground. Henry realizes the effectivity of the longbowmen and wholly transforms the English ground forces. In earlier times bowmans used to organize merely 20 % of the ground forces, but subsequently they form 80 % of the ground forces. This is a really critical interruption from tradition because in the feudal ground forcess, the bowmans were provincials or from lower categories and were considered much less honest. The Gallic commit the same error and charge uphill against the bowmans in complete neglect of their deadliness and are vanquished in the procedure. For Henry to tie in with such work forces and to name them their brother was something that was unheard in those times. It brewed in the work forces a sort of fierce trueness for Henry that they would to make perfectly anything for him.
Modern CEO ‘s demand to admit the demand for alteration in the organisation. This alteration may be in any signifier, runing from the construction of the house to flush its civilization. It could be adding of a diverse work force to derive strength from their differences to seeking out new schemes.
Communication Skills
Henry is adjudged among the finest speechmakers in the universe. He uses his oratory accomplishments to non merely affect his ain squad but besides to derive consensus. He, like a modern CEO before set abouting a new scheme or program, additions the favour of the church every bit good as the Lords who are the stakeholders in the run. He entices his work forces to triumph against formidable odds. Even after deriving triumph he acts with diplomatic negotiations. He woos the Gallic princess, Katherine to be his queen by praising her endlessly. He paints a image with his words for her about how she would be queen of both England and France, thereby giving her an inducement to take that determination.
Even though he is triumphs, he footings the dialogues as a “ peace pact ” alternatively of a resignation understanding to salvage the Gallic humiliation. He does so to keep peace in the hereafter, because he knows that a state every bit large as France can non be subdued by force forever.
The modern leader would make the same by supplying recruits with inducements to fall in and remain with the organisation. In amalgamations and acquisitions, by handling the new employees reasonably, the passage becomes much easier for them. Further by deriving consensus of all the concerned parties from the start, ensures complete support from all sections.
Macbeth – Plot Summary
The drama opens with Macbeth and Banquo, two of the Scots King Duncan ‘s generals returning winning from conflict when they encounter three enchantresss in the forests. The enchantresss tell Macbeth of how he will go the Thane of Cawdor and so the King of Scotland. For Banquo, they prophesize that he will engender the line of Scots Kings, though he will ne’er go king himself.
Soon a courier arrives, with intelligence from King Duncan who announces that Macbeth has been made the Thane of Cawdor, instantly seting the prognostication into position, doing Macbeth inquire how he might go male monarch. He invites Duncan to dine at his palace that flushing and goes in front to state his married woman of the twenty-four hours ‘s events.
Unlike Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is really certain of her hubby ‘s hereafter, wanting the throne and stating him that they must slay Duncan to guarantee his Ascension. Immediately upon returning to his palace, Lady Macbeth is able to convert her hubby to take enterprise and slaying Duncan that really dark.
The two program to acquire Duncan ‘s Chamberlains drunk plenty that they will non retrieve the eventide and fault them for the slaying. When the organic structure of Duncan is discovered in the forenoon, Macbeth rapidly kills the “ perpetrators ” and assumes the kingship. In the interim, Duncan ‘s boies flee to salvage their ain lives.
Soon afterwards to invalidate the staying prognostication, Macbeth plots the slaying of Banquo and his boy Fleance. The liquidator manages to kill Banquo, but fails to kill Fleance.
The dark of his slaying, Banquo ‘s shade appears to Macbeth and sends him into craze, frightening his invitees and angering his married woman. His really presence as the male monarch of Scotland has angered the other Lords and farther incites Macbeth ‘s scruples and paranoia.
To ease his frights, he visits the enchantresss once more and they offer to him more prognostications. They tell him he need non worry as he can non be harmed by any adult male Born of adult female and he is safe until Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Castle. He returns place and finds that Macduff has fled to England. In fright and fury, Macbeth seizes Macduff ‘s palace and orders the slaying of his married woman and kids and all those even distantly related to Macduff. In England, Macduff and Malcom raise an ground forces and invade Scotland to take retaliation on Macbeth with the support of the Scots Lords who are fed up of Macbeth ‘s dictatorship and subjugation.
While Macbeth awaits his oppositions, Lady Macbeth is in the procedure of traveling huffy, unable to come to footings with the guilt of slaying the male monarch. She enters into a enchantment like lunacy and commits self-destruction and Macbeth loses his last confidante. The intelligence of her self-destruction reaches Macbeth straight before the reaching of the English forces and sends him into an even deeper desperation. He still remains confident as the prognostication foretold his impregnability. However, Macduff ‘s forces arrive under the screen of boughs cut from Birnam wood which makes it look like as if the forest itself is traveling thereby recognizing one portion of the prognostication. When Macbeth is eventually confronted by Macduff after his forces have been overwhelmed, Macduff announces that he was “ ripped from his female parent ‘s uterus ” non born and the 2nd portion of the prophecy stands true. Macduff lickings and beheads Macbeth, passing the Crown back to Malcolm, the rightful male monarch in line.
Macbeth – Analysis of Leadership Qualities
Macbeth is a Scots Lord who is both powerful and celebrated. He has the regard and esteem of the people every bit good as his male monarch, Duncan. He wins a great triumph for his male monarch by personally taking the military personnels in oppressing a rebellion. For this effort, the male monarch promotes him and he is made Godhead of Cawdor. Macbeth though a really powerful warrior, is easy tempted by lecherousness for power and commits regicide. In his pursuit for the throne, he ends up losing non merely all his ownerships, but besides his life. Comparing Macbeths on the leading qualities reveals the followers inside informations.
Integrity
Macbeth shows astonishing physical power and bravery on the battleground and is involved where the conflict is the thickest. In modern footings, it could interpret into foremans personally taking enterprises and taking by illustration. This is a quality that most modern foremans would appreciate and would gain them both trueness and regard from their subsidiaries. In this instance, being the male monarch ‘s baronial and besides being related to him by blood, Macbeth should hold non entertained any ideas of lese majesties, but he is easy tempted and commits slaying on legion occasions of non merely the male monarch but besides of his long clip comrade and friend, Banquo. The minute the enchantresss plot a idea in his head, his head loses the clasp on these rules of heroism and award. Macbeth is rather easy manipulated by his married woman and he deviates easy from his responsibility, unlike a leader with unity would hold.
Macbeth knows that what his married woman has planned is incorrect and has uncertainties himself during the executing of the program. He tells his married woman that the male monarch has been sort to him and he is loved by his topics and there could be reverberations to his actions. However he commits regicide. A true leader would hold non compromised his rules or values so easy.
Foresight
Macbeth fails to see the effects of his actions. He really good knows that King Duncan is a merely and righteous male monarch. His repute was that of being merciful, caring and sort. The male monarch was besides loved by the aristocracy due to his respectful idiosyncrasies and non intervention in their personal businesss. Macbeth himself was respected by the provincials every bit good as the Godheads. He knew he was put on the lining everything by set abouting such a perfidy. Even though he is convinced that slaying the male monarch would be a error, he still lets his married woman prod him into making it. Once holding taken a black determination, he finds it impossible to turn back and he has to maintain doing even worse determinations.
Leaderships in today ‘s universe would make good non to divert from actions that overstep both the legal every bit good as the ethical boundary. It is inevitable that to do up for one bad determination, one would be tempted to perpetrate several worse determinations. Macbeth could be excused of non being of a crisp analytical head capable of weighing an action carefully but it is no alibi for listening to bad advice from beginnings like the enchantresss and his married woman. Today ‘s leaders have at their disposal the best possible advice in the signifier of wise mans, managers and advisers. They would be wise to do usage of them carefully.
Motivation
Even if we ignore the fact that Macbeth rose to coronate through perfidy and presume that his topics do non keep him accountable, he does a really hapless occupation of being a leader whom his followings would look up to. A leader should follow inclusive policies to convey in more followings and turn with strength of Numberss. Rather Macbeth succeeds in estranging about everyone. On recognizing that his challenger, Macduff had fled to England to raise an ground forces against him, he wholly ravages his estates and putting to deaths everyone related remotely to Macduff. Such ghastly deeds force off all Lords off from him. The 1s who pretend to stay loyal to him, infact merely lie in delay for a opportunity to subvert him. He becomes a autocrat in their eyes and is hated by one and all.
A modern director who is ruthless and wholly without empathy would engender no trueness. Employees would lodge around every bit long as there are adequate inducements and leave the minute they sense problem or slower times. For a director to be genuinely effectual, he has to expose some sensitiveness towards the feelings and values shared by his subsidiaries.
Humility
Macbeth can be assumed to be a individual who is easy swayed by the sentiments of those who paint an attractive image for him. Macbeth ‘s deficiency of humbleness transforms into an certitude or even arrogance that leads to his ultimate death. He is told by the three enchantresss that he can non be vanquished till the forests moved themselves to his palace and no adult male born of a adult female can harm him. Both these prognostications seem impossible to come true and Macbeth becomes certain that he can non be defeated by anyone. When one of his lookouts informs him that the forests were so traveling he gets into a fury and is impossible to be controlled. He ignores the fact that it is a polling move by Macduff ‘s ground forces to camouflage their motion. During the concluding confrontation between him and Macduff, he is told by Macduff that he is born by cesarean delivery and non by normal birth. Macduff slays Macbeth and therefore the concluding prognostication is fulfilled.
Humility is indispensable in today ‘s concern environment that it was of all time earlier. Thingss alteration in the wink of a seconds and today ‘s market leaders end up being tomorrow ‘s ciphers. Leaderships can non afford to be complacent of remainder on awards of yesterday. Humility keeps the director unfastened to suggestions and recommendations from his subsidiaries every bit good as co-workers. It makes the director more accessible and more aware of his environment.
Macbeth and Henry V are both really contrasting narratives. Macbeth is a baronial who aspires to be a male monarch and sacrifices his values to carry through his desire. While Henry V is a male monarch who sacrifices everything to protect his values. Even though Henry V is a narrative of a existent personality and Macbeth is a supporter in a work of fiction, the lesson one learns from both these work forces are really existent and as applicable in today ‘s universe as they were during their ain times. Henry V tells us of all the qualities essential in a successful leader today, Macbeth serves as a warning that poisoning of power and via medias to derive more of it would take to one ‘s eventual devastation.
