Rising to the Call with Sound Political Leadership Research Paper

Rising to the Call with Sound Political Leadership - Research cover ExampleThrough wise decisions, meaningful and sincere rhetoric, and the ability to assert his authority as needed, prexy Abraham Lincoln was an example of a true drawing card indoors the American political landscape. Leadership in the political arena requires a certain amount of detachment from sentimentality so that decision make can be done without the burdens of emotions that will cause too long of hesitation in action. This doesnt mean that emotions are not present, but that they can be controlled in order to act within a larger framework of the greater good. Vivian Holliday, professor of history from the College of Wooster, discusses the nature of leadership as it is presented by both Machiavelli and Socratic/Platonic principles. She states that Machiavelli is the principal founder of a realist hypothesis of leadership that portrays politics as a pure struggle for power in which all moral considerations ar e set aside, and that focuses the theory and practice of leadership on success as measured solely in terms of the encyclopaedism and maintenance of power and the protection and promotion of the interests of the nation-state or some other political collectivity (Holliday 51). ... Holliday also includes in her discussion the more idealistic Socratic/Platonic concept of political leadership suggesting that it should be indurate with the Machiavellian concepts. Through this interpretation of political leadership, the leader is integrally connected to followers and to morals, his or her platform, and noble-mindedness defining a virtue with which he or she leads. Holliday states that The rhetorical strategy of this image of the ideal philosopher-leader is once more most visible when we consider critically the image of new leadership that is vested with Socratic/Platonic experience and virtue and that leads through dialogue and education (63). This also suggests that beyond the connect ivity to followers and morals, a good leader uses communication and academically founded intelligent consideration in leading his people through whatever date that arises.