The Personalities of Leaders

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MTL: The Professional Development Programme
The Personalities of Leaders
THE PERSONALITIES OF
LEADERS
What kind of leader are you?

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Attribution: All images are from sources where a Creative Commons license exists for commercial use. All icons are on subscription
from thenounproject. All clipart is from free sources. The MTL Professional Development Programme is copyright of Manage Train
Learn.
The Personalities
of Leaders
Introduction: There is a strange paradox at the heart of leadership. And that is
that, while leaders are always different in style and personality, they still manage
to do the same thing: get people to follow them. Some leaders lead from the
front; others from within; while others lead from the rear. In this topic, we’ll
show you 9 leadership types and how they fit the ever-changing needs of their
followers.

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What History Teaches
UsAbout Leadership
The one common feature of all leaders is their
ability to get others to follow them, whether for
good as in the case of a Mother Teresa, or evil, as
in the case of an Adolf Hitler. Apart from that one
characteristic, there are no rules for what makes
leaders.
1. A leader might be born to a leadership
position or have leadership thrust upon
them like the biblical kings, Saul and the
shepherd boy, David
2. Some leaders promote themselves; others
are promoted by their followers
3. Some leaders love the spotlight; others work
unseen
4. Some leaders lead from the front, others
from within, others from the rear
5. The driving force of leaders to achieve their
goals can be achieved in many different
ways
6. All leaders have a leadership style and it is
the personality of a leader that determines
their leader style.

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1. THE
PRESCRIPTIVE
LEADER
The prescriptive leader is the leader who lays
down the law to others and demands compliance
in return. He or she is disciplined, serious, harsh,
dutiful, punitive, controlled, righteous, confident,
a rule-giver, a user of "should’s" and "must’s".
They are needed when the group is in a critical
situation, has been demoralised and has no
guidelines on which to work. Examples of
prescriptive leaders from history are Moses and
Oliver Cromwell.
“Moses holding up his arms during the battle” by John
Millais
Attribution: Wikipedia

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Monty's Ten
When General Bernard Montgomery was sent to the
demoralised Allied forces in North Africa in 1942, he
immediately set out the ten principles by which he would
lead his men. This is how he put them to his officers:
"1. First, there must be a change of atmosphere, then
2. two-way trust
3. teamwork
4. clear objectives
5. equally clear communications
6. self-belief
7. backed-up with adequate resources
8. insistence on good performance
9. humanity
10. controlled aggression towards the enemy."
He then warned his officers that if anyone didn't believe
they could do it, they should leave at once. Nobody left.
"Leadership is the capacity and will to rally men and women to a common
purpose and the character which inspires confidence."
(Montgomery of Alamein)
Montgomery (Att:Wikipedia)

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2. THE TEAM
LEADER
The team leader is best described as a father or
mother figure to the team. He or she is like the
head of a family, a team captain, the chair of a
group, first among equals. Invariably warm,
friendly, and well-liked, they will protect and
nurture their team and consult them when
decisions are needed. Examples of team leaders
from history are Abraham, Alexander the Great,
and Lord Nelson.
Flickr attribution: /dancingonthepedalsnet/6775811847/

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Admiral Horatio Nelson is the epitome of the
leader who inspires others to gallant deeds
through personal example, bravery, charisma and
the devotion of those being led.
Nelson was one of the first military leaders to
consult with his team of admirals and captains,
when such a leadership style was unheard of. Each
week, he would invite his captains on board his
flagship and go through what they needed to do as
a team. Sir John Harvey-Jones calls Nelson the
founder of participative management.
Nelson was not a base camp or desk-bound leader,
preferring instead to be with those he led. At the
siege of Toulon, he spent nearly two years living
on board his flagship Victory with his men. When
he died at the Battle of Trafalgar, his men were
grief-stricken at the loss of one of their own.
Nelson Wounded and Tended by His Loyal Crew
"In honour I gained them, and in
honour I will die with them."
(Horatio Nelson)
Nelson wounded at the battle of Santa Cruz deTenerife.

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3. THE
SUCCESS
LEADER
Success leaders are high-profile leaders. They
look good, attract others, and seem to have the
golden touch. Success leaders know how to give
themselves and their team a touch of magic
which inspires admiration and devotion from
others, even if appearances sometimes take
precedence over substance. Examples of success
leaders from history are Solomon; Julius Caesar;
Napoleon; John F. Kennedy; Bill Clinton; and Tony
Blair.
Flickr attribution: /quinet/15241208621/

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Napoleon Bonaparte was driven by a passionate
desire to lead his country and himself to greatness.
In 1798, when he and his army of 30,000 were
stranded in Egypt, as a result of Nelson's destruction
of the French fleet, Napoleon turned to his generals
and declared, "Well, gentlemen, now we are
separated from our homeland, we are obliged to
accomplish great things."
His plan was to conquer his way home but first he
transformed Egypt, building windmills, hospitals, and
an archaeologists' institute.
When Turkey declared war on France, Napoleon
escaped from Egypt and returned to Paris where, in a
blaze of glory, he declared himself First Consul.
Napoleon in Egypt
"The battlefield is a scene of constant chaos.
The winner will be the one who controls
that chaos, both his own and the enemy’s."
(Napoleon Bonaparte)

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4. THE
INSPIRATIONAL
LEADER
The inspirational leader is a visionary who leads
others by the power of their emotions. They are
often loners, dreamers, people who see
themselves as special and above the common
herd. Such a leader was Martin Luther King, who
inspired millions of Americans with his "I have a
dream" vision of a different kind of society. Other
historical figures include Mao Tse Tung; General
Patton; and Lawrence of Arabia (T E Lawrence).
Flickr attribution: /tomasjbyrne/3547213930/

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T E Lawrence achieved wide renown in the 1920's as
"Lawrence of Arabia". The David Lean film of 1962,
starring Peter O'Toole, enhanced his image as one of
the most romantic figures of the 20th century.
Much of Lawrence's story is a mystery. What is
known is that he played a pivotal role in the Arab
revolt of 1916-18 which overthrew the Turkish rulers
of the Holy Land.
Lawrence said, "All men dream, but not equally.
Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of
their minds wake in the day to find it was vanity. But
the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for
they may act out their dreams with open eyes, to
make it possible."
Lawrence ofArabia
Peter O’Toole asT.E.Lawrence in the 1962 film,
“Lawrence of Arabia”. (Att:Wikipedia)
"The world feels, not without a certain apprehension, that here is someone
outside its jurisdiction; some one strangely enfranchised, untamed,
untrammelled by convention, moving independent of the ordinary currents
of human action." (Winston Churchill on Lawrence)

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5. THE
INTELLIGENT
LEADER
The intelligent leader leads by offering insights
and understandings of situations which enable
others to act. He or she is thoughtful, interested,
observant, perceptive, clever, quick on the
uptake, wise, knowing, distant, witty, articulate,
silver-tongued. They come to the fore in complex
situations where clarity is needed. Historical
examples of this kind of leader include Isaac
Newton, Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, prophets,
pundits and gurus.
Flickr attribution: /vanitymirror/12813734545/

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Sir John Harvey-Jones is perhaps the best-known of
British industrial leaders. Under his chairmanship in
1984, ICI was the first British company to pass the
£1 billion profit goal.
Having served in naval intelligence during World
War II, Harvey-Jones was a self-taught manager.
His first act on heading the ICI board was to take
the whole board away for a week to think through
their strategy. This became a regular feature of his
leadership style.
Harvey-Jones describes management as an
absorbing interest..."Industrial management has
depths of fascination which few other callings can
enjoy.“
The One Billion £ Goal
Old ICI plant in Northwich, England.
"My own experience of trying to train managers is that it is extremely
difficult to teach grown-up people anything. It is, however, relatively easy
to create conditions under which people will teach themselves.” (John
Harvey-Jones)

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6. THE
CALCULATING
LEADER
The calculating leader excels at the traditional
managerial aspects of carrying out a task:
planning, organising, counting, decision-taking
and information-gathering. By nature, they are
sound, sure, certain, reasoned, informed,
reliable, obedient, self-effacing, calculating,
cautious. They often make excellent seconds-in-
command to strong figurehead leaders.
Examples of calculating leaders from history are:
Clement Attlee, Adolf Hitler, and Queen Elizabeth
I.
Flickr attribution: /alancleaver/4297852642/

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The reign of Elizabeth I from 1558 to 1603 was in many
ways considered a golden age when popular culture
flourished. But at the same time, it was a time of great
danger where books were censored and people killed for
their views.
Elizabeth was at the heart of this conundrum. Quick-
witted, clever, and as calculating as any king before her,
she could be both ruthless and indecisive.
England's First Elizabeth
"Fear not, we are of the nature
of the lion, and cannot descend
to the destruction of mice and
such small beasts."
(Elizabeth I)
Decisive in rallying her troops to face the Spanish
Armada, Elizabeth was also infuriating in her indecision.
When faced with the dilemma of signing the execution
warrant of her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, she busied
herself with other matters for months on end.

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7. THE ACTION
LEADER
The action leader inspires adventure and
excitement in their followers. Full of bravado,
risk-taking and activity, they are the type of
leaders who respond to challenges and inspire
others. You can't mistake an action leader. They
have high energy and are always looking for new
adventures and challenges. "Fun" is their middle
name. Historical examples include Sir Walter
Raleigh; Richard Branson; Tom Peters; and Anita
Roddick.
Flickr attribution: /john_fielding/1810096005/

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Anita Roddick was co-founder of the
retail chain, the Body Shop. At one
point, she was the 41st richest woman
in the UK when the Body Shop was
worth in the region of £410 million.
Roddick was an action leader.
Passionately involved in all aspects of
her business, she was continually
launching new products and new
ideas. She called herself and her co-
founder husband Gordon:
"troubadours and nomads". The
driving force behind the success of her
enterprise was the enthusiasm which
she generated amongst her
employees: "What I find riveting is
passion. Passion for anything. I know
Gordon's gone on the record saying
we're going to wind it all up but
bugger that. The Body Shop is my
child, my embryo. Everybody needs a
passion.“
Everybody Needs a Passion

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8. THE
CONQUERING
LEADER
The conquering leader is the figure we most
associate with strong leadership. History is
littered with leaders who thrive in battle from
Queen Boadicea to Winston Churchill. They are
strong, confident, dramatic, powerful, ruthless,
focused, energetic, aggressive, violent,
indefatigable, entrepreneurial. They fear nothing
and nobody. Historical examples include Saddam
Hussein; Stalin; Golda Meir; and Margaret
Thatcher.
Flickr attribution: /morphomir/2407451929/

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During her time in office, she was forced to lead
Israel in successive crises, including the Yom
Kippur War of 1973, a dispute with Austria over
the terrorist seizing of Jewish emigrants, and,
most notably, the massacre of 11 Israeli Olympic
team members at the 1972 Olympic Games in
Munich.
Outraged at the perceived lack of global action
following the massacre, Golda Meir gave the
order to the Israeli secret service, Mossad, to
hunt down and assassinate every one of the
suspected killers.
The Warrior Granny of Israel
Golda Meir appears on the reverse of the 10 Sheqalim banknote
issued in 1992. (Attribution:Wikipedia )
"The Egyptians could run to Egypt, the Syrians into Syria. The only place we
could run was into the sea, and before we did that we might as well fight.“
(Golda Meir)
Golda Meir was an Israeli teacher, kibbutznik, and politician who became the fourth Prime Minister of Israel from
1969 to 1974. As a leader of a country under almost constant threat, Golda Meir was the epitome of a
conquering leader.

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9. THE
RECONCILING
LEADER
The gentle leader is the antithesis of the
accepted notions we have of leadership. The
gentle leader leads not by putting himself first
but by supporting, encouraging and empowering
others. His or her characteristics are: yielding,
bending, quiet, still, listening, humble, non-
doing, non-rescuing, non-intervening,
facilitating, helping, mentoring. Historical
examples include Mahatma Gandhi; Buddha; Sir
Alf Ramsey; and Nelson Mandela.
Flickr attribution: /66518898@N02/6056682343/

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Nelson Mandela is the epitome of the Reconciling Leader. In February
1990, he was released from Robbin Island after 27 years of
imprisonment and became the first black leader of South Africa.
Contrary to many fears among all sections of South Africa's mixed race
population, there was no civil war. Mandela showed the country the
need to forgive, to reconcile and to find peace.
Nelson Mandela
“For to be free is not merely to
cast off one's chains, but to live in
a way that respects and enhances
the freedom of others.”
(Nelson Mandela)
"I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize:
the first is gentleness; the second is frugality; the third
is humility.
Be gentle and you can be bold;
be frugal and you can be liberal;
Avoid putting yourself before others and you can
become a leader among men."
(Lao Tzu BC 600)

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This has been a Slide Topic from Manage Train Learn
AFinal
Word
Leaders only remain needed while their leadership personality style and the needs of their teams
are a fit. After that, a different leadership style is needed and the leader is discarded as past his or
her sell-by date. But for the time he or she leads, they have the potential to change the destinies
of their teams and to be remembered as great.

The Personalities of Leaders

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