4. Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) was the Supreme
Chancellor of Nazi Party (1933-1945) and the
leader of National Socialist German Worker
Party. He was also well-known for triggering
The Second World War and creating fascist
dictatorship which had caused about 62
million deaths (1939- 1945), (Stokes, 2008).
5. Synopsis of his life..
1889: Born in Braunau am Inn, Austria
In 1894, his family moved to Leonding, Austria. Adolf took
admission in school in nearby Fischlham in Austia.
He left school at 16, to become a painter. He went to Vienna.
While living in Vienna, Hitler struggled as a painter after having
been rejected twice by the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna during
1907-1908.
1914: Serves in World War I as a runner for the 16th Bavarian
Reserve Regiment
6. 1919: Appointed aVerbindungsmann (police spy) of the Reichswehr
and meets Dietrich Eckart who teaches him how to dress and speak
influentially
1924: Sent to prison for a failed coup d'etat, writes Mein Kampf
1929: Meets his lifelong mistress Eva Braun
1932: Granted German Citizenship
1933: Becomes Chancellor of the Nazi Party
1935: Violates the Treaty of Versailles by building a massive military
force
1936: An Axis is declared between Germany and Italy, Japan,
Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria join later
7. 1939: Orders the Nazi Party to begin carrying out the "Final
Solution of the Jewish Question" or The Holocaust
1941: Breaks the non-aggression pact with Stalin and invades the
Soviet Union
1941: Declares war against the United States
1943: Becomes increasingly erratic after being defeated at the
Battle of Stalingrad
1944: Celebrates his 56th birthday in a bunker below the Reich
Chancellery
1945: Commits suicide by shooting himself and biting into a
cyanide capsule
8.
9. Defining leadership…
The activity of leading a group of people or an organization or the ability to do
this.
Leadership involves
(1) establishing a clear vision,
(2) sharing that vision with others so that they will follow willingly,
(3) providing the information, knowledge and methods to realize that vision, and
(4) coordinating and balancing the
conflicting interests of all members and stakeholders.
A leader steps up in times of crisis, and is able to think and act creatively in
difficult situations. Unlike management, leadership cannot be taught, although it
may be learned and enhanced through coaching or mentoring.
10. There are many definitions of leadership that highlight its different
aspects.
John Maxwell, author of “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”
defines leadership as “influence, nothing more, nothing less”.
He goes on to say: “He who thinks he leads but has no-one
following him, is simply taking a walk.”
This is a functional definition of leadership, one that basically says
that a leader is someone who has followers.
11. Influential
Hitler was influential because he used nationalism as
a tool for igniting the interests of people to follow in his
cause. like Napoleon he was power driven.
influentiality has to do with the behaviours of people
one can manipulate either by sanction or charisma and
Hitler was a man skilled with the sword as well as
words. he was influential because he had a big vision
and people need big visions to be motivated so he
motivated people.
12. Confident
He had a lot of confidence thinking that he could achieve his goals.
Although in the end his confidencee was overturned, he did have it
which is a good characteristic of a leader.
Goal Setter
He set goals for himself and the Nazis. Even though some of these were
very far fetched, he did set them and that is a positive characteristic of a
leader.
Judgemental
He believed all who weren’t Aryan were not needed. Not even knowing
people he based his thoughts on looks and heritage.
13. Powerful
People listened to him. Not many people went against him
because they were afraid that something would happen to them
or their families.
Demanding
He wanted what he wanted and wasn’t going to change
his beliefs for anything or anyone. He thought that he
had all the power in the world and that’s what he was
trying to gain.
15. Public Speaking
Hitler was a captivating public speaker. He would enrapture crowds
with his vision and sense of purpose of the nation.
Public speaking is one of the essential skills of a leader. Whether
you are able to have followers will really depend on your ability to
rally them through inspiration and a hope for a future vision.
You should take time to invest in your ability to speak publicly. Like it
or not, public speaking is one of the most common traits of the top
leaders in the world and if you can do it well, it will serve you and
your team really well.
16. Understanding human nature
Adolf Hitler understood human nature very well. He knew how to
use human nature to his personal gain and with that knowledge,
he rallied the whole nation behind him.
You have to understand the thoughts, inclinations of human nature
well if you are to be an effective leader as well. This often means
a high level of EQ. Much of human nature can be easily be seen
in yourself; especially in your weakness to temptation or any base
inclination.
A good leader understands what he is dealing with in other people
because he sees it in himself.
From that perspective and understanding, you’re able to lead your
followers so much better.
17. Constant Influence
Adolf Hitler successfully used propaganda to bring the whole nation
under his will. Through the constant use of media and
communications, he managed to cause a whole nation to think alike
to serve his cause.
There’s a lesson for us leaders to be learnt here. People become
what they are constantly being exposed to. If you constantly read,
watch and listen to positive messages, you’ll naturally become
positive. And it works vice versa as well.
We’d like to think that we are thinking independently of our
environment, but the truth is that most of us think, act and believe in
a certain way because of our environment.
What is the underlying message you portray to your team each day?
Are you sending positive messages of inspiration and hope, or
negative messages of anger and frustration?
18.
19. What was his leadership style?
Charismatic Autocratic
Visionary
Transactional
Transformational Situational
20. Charismatic Leadership
This type of leadership mainly relies on personality and charm.
Even if one does not have a natural charm, they can still learn
effective ways in which to lead a group using motivation and high
morales. These types of leaders are very good at engaging others and
making them feel that they are an effective and valuable team
member.
21. The most famous negative charismatic leader would
be Adolph Hitler. He was able to make an entire
country bow to their knees and believe the notions
and ideas he had come up with about their German
race being higher and more superior than others,
especially those of the Jewish faith. People were
mesmerized by his speeches and how he commanded
an audience. (Charismatic Leadership)