The Great Man Theory of Leadership

The Great Man Theory of Leadership, or Great Man Theory, has been an important concept in a wide variety of domains for nearly 200 years. The Great Man Theory has influenced politics, history, business, and management. Despite its age, the theory remains important in the business world today. Many executives, investors, analysts, and more still prescribe to it. The Great Man theory offers a specific way of viewing human organizations and activity. While it has both advantages and disadvantages, it’s important to learn because of its utility in understanding the world of business and human commerce.

In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the Great Man Theory. We’ll cover where it originated, the extent to which it remains important, and what the advantages and disadvantages are of applying the theory to business and management.

What is the Great Man Theory of Leadership?

The Great Man Theory of Leadership is a theory that offers a way of understanding leadership, influence, history, and human organizations. The theory proposes that certain individuals—i.e. great men—are more naturally imbued with innate leadership qualities than others. These different predispositions tend to shuttle people into different social, professional, and political roles—and to define how they act in those roles.

The Great Man Theory of Leadership speaks to the age-old question of nature vs. nurture, which asks whether humans develop into the people they are primarily because of innate (e.g. genetic) qualities, or because of education, environmental conditioning, and other forces that shape a person’s development after they’re born.

The Great Man Theory is firmly on the side of nature, suggesting that leadership is born of inherent and largely unteachable characteristics that include intelligence, charisma, courage, and decisiveness. In short, the Great Man Theory suggests that leaders and other “great men” are born, not made. Additionally, the theory suggests that certain historical, social, and economic contexts create conditions for great men to come to power.

Who Developed the Great Man Theory of Leadership?

Right now you might be thinking: there are a lot of people out there with theories about how the world works, so why should we listen to this one? Who developed the Great Man Theory of Leadership?

As you might have guessed, The Great Man Theory wasn’t just the brain-child of some Joe Schmo. The Great Man Theory was first developed and popularized by the historian Thomas Carlyle. Carlyle first advanced the theory in his book, On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History. That book dealt with such historical figures as the prophet Muhammad and Napoleon Bonaparte while arguing that these and other great men were innately exceptional people destined to influence large masses of people.

Importance of the Great Man Theory of Leadership

The importance of the Great Man Theory of leadership is obvious to historians and academics. But the theory is just as important for managers, investors, consultants, and more. The Great Man Theory of leadership provides a framework for understanding why certain leaders emerge and succeed. This can be helpful in making hiring and investing decisions, since it can empower you to identify natural leaders. And even if you don’t subscribe to the theory, the importance of the Great Man Theory of Leadership also lies in the fact that many other individuals and organizations embrace it. Knowing how they think can help you to better understand and predict how they’ll act.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Great Man Theory of Leadership

We’ve just acknowledged that the Great Man Theory of Leadership is important regardless of whether or not you embrace it. In this section, we’ll look at the advantages and disadvantages of the Great Man Theory of Leadership.

Some people find the Great Man Theory of Leadership to be extremely accurate and essential to making management decisions. Other people believe that the Great Man Theory of Leadership misrepresents how good leaders develop, operate, and are identified. We will consider both these positions. This will help you to decide whether and how you want to implement the Great Man Theory of Leadership into your business decisions.

Advantages of the Great Man Theory of Leadership

In discussing the advantages of the Great Man Theory of Leadership, we must begin with its clarity. Identifying talented leaders can be extremely hard, and even mystifying. The Great Man Theory of Leadership provides a clear framework that can help you make more effective decisions when it comes to leadership and management.

Another advantage of the Great Man Theory of Leadership is that it values the qualities of charisma and inspiration, which can have a powerful impact on morale and group cohesion. If these are of primary importance to your business, the Great Man Theory of Leadership may serve you well.

Disadvantages of the Great Man Theory of Leadership

The disadvantages of the Great Man Theory of Leadership include the ways it can lend a kind of myopia to your understanding and decision-making around leadership. By focusing on innate individual qualities, the Great Man Theory deliberately ignores a deeper analysis of the contexts and conditions surrounding given situations. This creates the risk of misunderstanding why events unfold as they do, which can corrupt any efforts to make more effective decisions.

Other disadvantages of the Great Man Theory of Leadership involve exclusivity and bias. By supposing that certain individuals innately contain more admirable qualities than others, the Great Man Theory can lead to elitism in hiring decisions. This is a problem because if you are filtering out candidates who don’t match your preconceived notions about what makes a great man or leader, you may miss out on the best candidate for the job. You may also neglect to consider relevant factors like experience, expertise, and an individual’s fit in the broader organizational culture. Additionally, the Great Man Theory of Leadership can be used to perpetuate bias and inequity.

Great Man Theory of Leadership Examples

To get a better understanding of how the Great Man Theory operates, let’s look at some Great Man Theory of Leadership examples.

• Abraham Lincoln: Lincoln arose from exceedingly humble beginnings to lead the United States through perhaps its greatest crisis, the Civil War. Lincoln has been regarded as a historically significant leader by historians, who often point to his special leadership qualities, including integrity, determination, compassion, communication skills, and political acumen.
• Steve Jobs: Jobs is acknowledged as the visionary behind Apple, one of the most influential organizations in human history. Jobs helped shape the modern technological landscape, and he is regularly cited for his vision and ability to inspire others.

I am sure you can think of many others, such as George Washington, Napoleon, Elon Musk, and many more.

Conclusion

Understanding how leadership works—and how it fails—is one of the most important aspects of running and investing in a successful organization. However, leadership is mysterious. Are great leaders born or made? Is inspiration more important than experience? What makes one leader successful and another with a similar resume unsuccessful?

The Great Man Theory of Leadership can help answer such questions. And whether you agree with it or disagree with it, the stance you take will have a huge impact on the leadership decisions you make throughout your career.

 

Additional Resources:

• Empowering Leadership: Traits & Examples
• Humility in Leadership
• Emergent Leadership: 10 Under 40 To Watch in Consulting
• 7 Leadership Imperatives for Successful Business Transformation