Student Question
What does Ancient Greece teach us about a leader's personal character?
Quick answer:
The ancient Greeks teach us that the most important character and personality traits and values a leader should posses are integrity, morality, charisma, intelligence, a sense of justice, and a sense of diplomacy.
Leadership has been the subject of numerous theories and studies which have been conducted since ancient times, when the great thinkers first explored the complexity of the human psyche and the psychology of human behavior. Many ancient Greek philosophers pondered about the concept of leadership and argued about the most desirable and most important character traits that define the ideal leader.
In his treatise Republic, for instance, the Greek philosopher Plato theorizes that the most intelligent and wisest individuals should be chosen as leaders; however, he also argues that all leaders should be trained, educated, and prepared for that position. Introducing the concept of the "philosopher king," he points out that a great leader is someone who has the ability to be politically correct, moral, democratic, and charismatic. Charisma is a very important personality trait when it comes to the topic of leadership, because the ideal leader should always be...
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prepared to face various challenges and inspire and motivate their subjects. Integrity and morality are also greatly valued, as all good leaders should be able to make rational, diplomatic, and ethical decisions, free of bias, and they should always be honest and dignified.
In this context, it is notable to mention that both Plato and Socrates studied the idea of the "noble lie" which some leaders may use to maintain sociopolitical stability. Furthermore, in Homer's epic poem Odyssey, the main protagonist Odysseus is considered to be a rather capable and creative leader, as he isn't afraid to use wit, noble lying, and even manipulation to advance his own agenda.
The ancient Greeks were among the first civilizations to reject autocracy and tyranny as sociopolitical systems of government, despite of the questionable behavior displayed by some of the Greek gods and titans presented in green mythology. Plato mentions that forced authority, vanity, and thirst for power result with a bad political and social structure. According to him, the best leaders are certainly solemn, powerful, ambitious, and authoritative; however, they must never derive their authority and power from their personal desires and selfishness. Fairness and a sense of justice, as well as respect and a sense of duty to the community, are some of the most important character traits that a leader can and should possess.