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Comparative Analysis of Leadership Styles: Nelson Mandela and Hillary Clinton

May 23, 2023 | 0 comments

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May 23, 2023 | Essays | 0 comments

Introduction

A public leader is a person who holds a higher office in the public sector that serves and guides people of the given community. A public leader can be elected by the people or appointed by another leader. A good example of a public leader is a president who holds the highest office on land and which many people look up to. Leadership is a set of given activities that people in high offices and with power engage in. leadership is not for everyone that is why few leaders emerge successful in their leadership regimes. Failure in leadership may be brought about by leaders who neglect their responsibilities in the offices they hold and refusing to take accountability for every action (Hart and Uhr, n.d). Great and successful leaders put their focus on serving the people and meet their expectations despite the challenges they encounter. This is why every public leader has a leadership style that works best for them in delivering for the people they lead. This paper is going to discuss two renowned public leaders, their leadership styles, and their abilities to lead. These leaders are Nelson Mandela from South Africa and Hillary Clinton from America.

 

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Renowned Public Leaders

Nelson Mandela was born on July 18 1918 in South Africa. He was a civil rights activist, a politician, and a philanthropist. In 1942 he joined the African National Congress. He was the first-ever black president in South Africa from 1994 to 1999. Mandela was actively involved in peaceful campaigns and demonstrations against the South African government and its racist way of leadership. Due to his efforts in the anti-apartheid movement, he was awarded Nobel Prize in 1993. Nelson Mandela Died in 2013 at the age of 95 in Johannesburg after suffering from a lung infection (Bio, 2018). The great man theory describes Mandela as a public administrator (Cherry, 2017). According to the South African people, he was a hero who was born to lead and who was a natural leader that saved them from the hands of an oppressive racist government.

Hillary canton was born on October 26 1947 in Chicago. She became the first lady when her husband B. Clinton became the president of America from 1993 to 2001. She became the US senator from 2001 to 2009. Hillary Clinton had an interest in running for the presidency in 2008 but was defeated in party nominations. Barrack Obama appointed her as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013. In 2016, Clinton made history by becoming the first woman to be nominated as a presidential candidate for a major political party. She was defeated by Donald Trump in the general elections in 2016 (Bio, 2018). From the characteristics that Hillary Clinton posses such as intelligence, self-confidence, determination among others, it will be correct to state that the trait theory of leadership defines her as a public administrator (Penn state, 2016).

From the theory that describes Nelson Mandela’s leadership, it is clear that he was born to be a leader because of his selfless interest. Mandela was a great leader who had a unique personality that made him the heroic leader that he was. According to the people he led, he was a man of the people, sacrificing his life to bring racial reconciliation to his people. From this theory of leadership, Mandela was an effective leader because many years of campaigning for an all-inclusive government he brought peace and freedom to his people.

On the other hand, Hillary Clinton can be well described by the trait theory. Researchers have identified some traits that have a great impact on leadership. Traits such as determination, self-confidence, intelligence, and integrity provide an insight into how successful a leader can be. Though education is not fully a determining factor of intelligence, graduating with a law degree shows how bright and intelligent she is (Penn State, 2016). Her ability to announce to the world and stand in front of the people telling them about her interest in vying for the presidency shows how self-confident she is. Clinton is rule-abiding and has a strong desire to succeed in her leadership journey.

Though people criticize her for not being emotionally intelligent and terming her as boring, many of her supporters believe that she makes a good leader. Her interpersonal sensitivity trait is being analyzed by people in terms of her being a woman. Some compare her with her male competitors and judge her inability to lead due to having low emotional intelligence which they term as a female trait (Sherman, 2016). Despite the critiques, many people believe in her leadership.

Mandela’s charismatic leadership style

A charismatic leader always has a strong desire to influence others by motivating them and sharing his or her vision with his/her followers. This style requires the presence of the leader for the projects to be successful (The Executive Connection, 2015). Nelson Mandela had strong emotional reactions towards his people that is why they kept on fighting even after he was imprisoned (Word Press, 2013). In a charismatic leadership style, there are strengths and weaknesses that a charismatic leader can encounter.

One of its strengths is that this leadership style, according to its description, yields more success. Mandela’s motivation and vision as a charismatic leader made the people fight without giving up. This makes the job done more effectively. Thirdly, a charismatic leader learns from his people’s behavior through the mistakes they commit and learn from them to avoid a repeat (Martin, 2016). Charismatic leadership weak side is how influential the leaders are, some of the leaders don’t consider the well being of their followers and may be driven by self-interest. The followers follow blindly on what the leader says and fail to analyze closely the vision of their project whether it is sustainable or attainable. Lastly, since charismatic leadership requires the presence of the leader, once the leader is not available the focused projects may suffer consequently (Martin, 2016).

Clinton’s transformational leadership style

This is a leadership style that the leader inspires his/her followers. Hillary Clinton is a woman who inspires values and principles. She has the vision to take the country to a higher level. She is an inspiration to many women around the world for self-confidence. She was always on the front line on matters of women and human rights when she was secretary of state (Biography, 2018).

The first and most important strength of this theory is that it brings change. Secondly, due to its focus on a clear vision, this style helps in defining objectives and achieves the set goals. Besides setting a clear vision the leader has a role in supporting the subordinates to achieve the goals. By doing this the junior staff has an opportunity to learn and grow (Martin, 2016).

This leadership style also has some weaknesses that need to be addressed. First and foremost the good relationship that the followers have with their leaders makes it difficult for them to criticize their leader. Secondly, a transformational leader has to develop emotional intelligence that many of Clinton’s followers claim that it is a trait she lacks. Thirdly, the leader is always under pressure to convince people about her vision and be able to motivate them (Martin, 2016).

Mandela’s major success

Nelson Mandela was determined with the zeal to succeed. He sacrificed his freedom to bring peace to the nation. Through his efforts that bore fruits, Mandela became the first black president of South Africa and has won more than 250 honorable awards. He will always be remembered as a great leader and a peacemaker by the whole world (Word Press, 2013).

Clinton’s major success

Hillary Clinton is an effective leader that delivers to her people. This is evident in her position as a first lady when she championed the violence against women act in 1994 and was part of the creation of violence against women. When she was a senator she introduced the pediatric research equity that acts that requires thorough research to be done by the drug companies on how their drugs affect children. This and more actions and accomplishments show how an inspirational leader she is (Amadeo, 2017). Above all Hillary Clinton proved herself when she became the first woman to win nominations at the party.

My key strength that influences my ability to be public is self-confidence. The confidence to express my views and opinion in front of anyone can make me a great leader.

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Reference

Amadeo, K. (2017). What Has Hillary Done? 14 Major Accomplishments. Retrieved from https://www.thebalance.com/hillary-clinton-s-accomplishments-4101811

Biography. (2018). Hillary Clinton. Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/people/hillary-clinton-9251306

Biography. (2018). Nelson Mandela. Retrieved from https://www.biography.com/people/nelson-mandela-9397017

Cherry, K. (2017). The Major Leadership Theories. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/leadership-theories-2795323

Hart, P., & Uhr, J. Public Leadership. Retrieved from http://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/p80351/pdf/ch0173.pdf

Martin. (2016). Charismatic Leadership Guide: Definition, Qualities, Pros & Cons, Examples. Retrieved from https://www.cleverism.com/charismatic-leadership-guide/

Penn State. (2016). Hillary Clinton-The Transformational Leader. Retrieved from http://sites.psu.edu/leadership/2013/06/16/hillary-clinton-the-transformational-leader/

Sherman, R. (2016). The Personality of Hillary Clinton. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-situation-lab/201610/the-personality-hillary-clinton

Sindell, T., & Sindell, M. (2016). The Leadership Styles Clinton and Trump Use to Connect With Supporters. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/281592

The Executive Connection. (2015). CEO | 9 common leadership styles| TEC. Retrieved from http://tec.com.au/resource/9-common-leadership-styles-which-type-of-leader-are-you/

Word Press. (2013). Nelson Mandela’s Leadership Style. Retrieved from https://vernlee99.wordpress.com/

 

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