Perspective Paper: Adolf Hitler’s Leadership
Introduction:
Adolf Hitler, a man who needs no introduction. The name itself is affiliated with such a negative connotation and rightfully so when taking into account that, as closely as an event can be credited to one single person, the Holocaust is credited to him. With that connection comes the affiliation of the deaths of an estimated six million Jewish men, women, and children between the years of 1933 and 1945 (ProjectAladin). It was
incredible leadership qualities that put Hitler into a position of power to be able to concur such tasks but mixed with a lack of compassion for the human race, and the individuality and uniqueness it is capable of, that now marks him as a monster and one of the most ill-intended people to have ever existed.
Hitler’s Rise to Power
As first referenced in Abstract 4, Hitler’s entrance into the German infantry was the result of much failure to be accepted in other areas of his life. From his young childhood years, his father never supported his passion for more artistic activities. Growing up and never obtaining the approval Hitler so desired ate at him to a point he could just never get over. So much so, that it started from a disagreement about a proper trade for the future and eventually caused Hitler to become Pro-German just to disagree with his Austrian proud veteran father. Little did his family know, that was only the beginning of his streak of rebellion.
When Hitler was denied from art and architecture school in his young adult years, it clearly discouraged him in his pursuit to follow his adolescent dreams. However, here is where another faulty trait comes into play because instead of being resilient and continuing to follow his dreams, he seemed to have “given up” and given into the military; the German military of course.
Lucky for him, but very unlucky for the majority of the world, it was a very susceptible time for the German government. The German people were lacking a consistent leader but were in need of one to provide leadership and guidance. Very quickly, Hitler was able to rise up to power with his strong oral communication skills and his ability to draw a crowd in with, not only his words, but how he spoke with passion and purpose. Its in these moments in history that I ponder on what would’ve happened, had Hitler wanted to find a true cure for the state of Germany as a solution to poverty as opposed to being a selfish human being and only seeking a way to climb the ladder of leadership, good or bad.
Perhaps before even Hitler could see it coming, already established leaders in Germany admired his potential and gave him all the rights he needed to begin his uprising but simultaneously begin the demise that was the Holocaust.
Effective Vs. Ineffective Leadership
An unfortunate truth is that all one needs to be considered a leader is a following. After all, there are wonderful leaders of the free world and then there are not so wonderful leaders that are often better referred to as dictators. What they have in common, they relate to people. Sometimes it would seem as though it’s actually more difficult for honest leaders to find a following because it is harder for a nice, soft voice to be heard than it is to hear a loud, intense, force-you-to-listen voice. There differences are many but there is one that stands out: evil never wins. The reign of corrupt leadership can last for years and years, but one day there will finally be a time when it ends. That’s called progression and it is inevitable, just like in the case of Hitler.
Perhaps a great example of what an effective leader would believe is to “envision the future... [and] imagine the greater opportunities to come” (Kouzes & Posner, 2008). An effective leader sees growth that is to come and, essentially, is an opportunist who seeks to benefit everyone, or at least the huge majority of people. Along with that, an effective leader will listen to their following, not simply control them or limit their abilities. “The moment we realize we are mostly followers, not leaders, is a genuine developmental milestone”, (Bennis 2010). As The Art of Followership reminds us, followers have the power of limiting the abilities leaders have. In the same sense that celebrities wouldn’t be in the limelight they’re in without a fan base, same goes for political leaders. That’s, of course, not to discredit the extreme ill intentions of evil leaders and their abilities to manipulate their way to power.
But that just goes to show another difference between effective and ineffective leadership. Much of it is manipulating those listening to believe that you have their best interest in mind verses proving that you truly do. In the case of Adolf Hitler, he found his way of manipulation through his strength in oral communication and all who followed watched it grow into the monster it soon became.
How Hitler Stayed in Power
To make this incredibly simple, Hitler found success through the unfortunate circumstances of others. A wonderful combination of desperate times, a desperate need for leadership, and his failures in other attempts of belonging lead to his ability and willingness to control and manipulate.
He believed what he was doing was right, though, and perhaps that’s the saddest part. Not once, did this man consider that in his prosperity, he was, not only causing the
death of millions, but he was killing people’s hope. Sometimes that is even more tragic than death.
In taking advantage of the situation he was “lucky” enough to be placed into and when the situation grew so intensely that there were human concentration work camps that people went to essentially die, all because they weren’t a pure German, he still believed he was in the right. Perhaps he even manipulated himself at that point.
Conclusion
In the end, we cannot eliminate the Holocaust from history. It happened, and it was tragic, there is no escaping that. However, the best way to honor those whose lives were lost is to not let their memories have died in vein. From the day the Holocaust ended, we have been on an uphill journey to establish better leadership and an even more educated followership. Simply recognizing Hitler as a negative being is a step towards that. Through effective leadership, people can see the world changing into what they want it to be. With an honest spokesperson speaking on the behalf of others, positive messages can be heard as a way of progression and betterment in this world we live in and share with one another.
He was an incredible leader for a horrible cause. His abilities, no doubt, could have bettered the world as we know it even today. That was Hitler’s weakness, not being able to see the difference between good and evil. Good and honest will prevail always, unfortunately patience has to go along with that. What can never be forgiven is that for many victims of the Holocaust, their patience was overplayed by Hitler’s manipulation and it resulted in the loss of their friends, family, other loved ones, and for many their own lives. With them, died their dreams and ambitions that I truly believe would have bettered the world as we know it but we’ll never see that world because one man lead to the death of that possibility. If evil leaders are given power the way Hitler did over eight decades ago today, we can only imagine the terrible doings that could come of it. Luckily though, as leaders have learned to respect the opinion of their followings and to embrace them, followers have also learned that we don’t have to settle for leaders we don’t believe in. We must stay reminded that leaders represent us but are not in charge of us without our permission as a majority. Everyone plays a part as a follower to someone ‘higher’ up on the totem pole but there will always be more followers than there are leaders and, in the end, numbers mean everything.
Introduction:
Adolf Hitler, a man who needs no introduction. The name itself is affiliated with such a negative connotation and rightfully so when taking into account that, as closely as an event can be credited to one single person, the Holocaust is credited to him. With that connection comes the affiliation of the deaths of an estimated six million Jewish men, women, and children between the years of 1933 and 1945 (ProjectAladin). It was
incredible leadership qualities that put Hitler into a position of power to be able to concur such tasks but mixed with a lack of compassion for the human race, and the individuality and uniqueness it is capable of, that now marks him as a monster and one of the most ill-intended people to have ever existed.
Hitler’s Rise to Power
As first referenced in Abstract 4, Hitler’s entrance into the German infantry was the result of much failure to be accepted in other areas of his life. From his young childhood years, his father never supported his passion for more artistic activities. Growing up and never obtaining the approval Hitler so desired ate at him to a point he could just never get over. So much so, that it started from a disagreement about a proper trade for the future and eventually caused Hitler to become Pro-German just to disagree with his Austrian proud veteran father. Little did his family know, that was only the beginning of his streak of rebellion.
When Hitler was denied from art and architecture school in his young adult years, it clearly discouraged him in his pursuit to follow his adolescent dreams. However, here is where another faulty trait comes into play because instead of being resilient and continuing to follow his dreams, he seemed to have “given up” and given into the military; the German military of course.
Lucky for him, but very unlucky for the majority of the world, it was a very susceptible time for the German government. The German people were lacking a consistent leader but were in need of one to provide leadership and guidance. Very quickly, Hitler was able to rise up to power with his strong oral communication skills and his ability to draw a crowd in with, not only his words, but how he spoke with passion and purpose. Its in these moments in history that I ponder on what would’ve happened, had Hitler wanted to find a true cure for the state of Germany as a solution to poverty as opposed to being a selfish human being and only seeking a way to climb the ladder of leadership, good or bad.
Perhaps before even Hitler could see it coming, already established leaders in Germany admired his potential and gave him all the rights he needed to begin his uprising but simultaneously begin the demise that was the Holocaust.
Effective Vs. Ineffective Leadership
An unfortunate truth is that all one needs to be considered a leader is a following. After all, there are wonderful leaders of the free world and then there are not so wonderful leaders that are often better referred to as dictators. What they have in common, they relate to people. Sometimes it would seem as though it’s actually more difficult for honest leaders to find a following because it is harder for a nice, soft voice to be heard than it is to hear a loud, intense, force-you-to-listen voice. There differences are many but there is one that stands out: evil never wins. The reign of corrupt leadership can last for years and years, but one day there will finally be a time when it ends. That’s called progression and it is inevitable, just like in the case of Hitler.
Perhaps a great example of what an effective leader would believe is to “envision the future... [and] imagine the greater opportunities to come” (Kouzes & Posner, 2008). An effective leader sees growth that is to come and, essentially, is an opportunist who seeks to benefit everyone, or at least the huge majority of people. Along with that, an effective leader will listen to their following, not simply control them or limit their abilities. “The moment we realize we are mostly followers, not leaders, is a genuine developmental milestone”, (Bennis 2010). As The Art of Followership reminds us, followers have the power of limiting the abilities leaders have. In the same sense that celebrities wouldn’t be in the limelight they’re in without a fan base, same goes for political leaders. That’s, of course, not to discredit the extreme ill intentions of evil leaders and their abilities to manipulate their way to power.
But that just goes to show another difference between effective and ineffective leadership. Much of it is manipulating those listening to believe that you have their best interest in mind verses proving that you truly do. In the case of Adolf Hitler, he found his way of manipulation through his strength in oral communication and all who followed watched it grow into the monster it soon became.
How Hitler Stayed in Power
To make this incredibly simple, Hitler found success through the unfortunate circumstances of others. A wonderful combination of desperate times, a desperate need for leadership, and his failures in other attempts of belonging lead to his ability and willingness to control and manipulate.
He believed what he was doing was right, though, and perhaps that’s the saddest part. Not once, did this man consider that in his prosperity, he was, not only causing the
death of millions, but he was killing people’s hope. Sometimes that is even more tragic than death.
In taking advantage of the situation he was “lucky” enough to be placed into and when the situation grew so intensely that there were human concentration work camps that people went to essentially die, all because they weren’t a pure German, he still believed he was in the right. Perhaps he even manipulated himself at that point.
Conclusion
In the end, we cannot eliminate the Holocaust from history. It happened, and it was tragic, there is no escaping that. However, the best way to honor those whose lives were lost is to not let their memories have died in vein. From the day the Holocaust ended, we have been on an uphill journey to establish better leadership and an even more educated followership. Simply recognizing Hitler as a negative being is a step towards that. Through effective leadership, people can see the world changing into what they want it to be. With an honest spokesperson speaking on the behalf of others, positive messages can be heard as a way of progression and betterment in this world we live in and share with one another.
He was an incredible leader for a horrible cause. His abilities, no doubt, could have bettered the world as we know it even today. That was Hitler’s weakness, not being able to see the difference between good and evil. Good and honest will prevail always, unfortunately patience has to go along with that. What can never be forgiven is that for many victims of the Holocaust, their patience was overplayed by Hitler’s manipulation and it resulted in the loss of their friends, family, other loved ones, and for many their own lives. With them, died their dreams and ambitions that I truly believe would have bettered the world as we know it but we’ll never see that world because one man lead to the death of that possibility. If evil leaders are given power the way Hitler did over eight decades ago today, we can only imagine the terrible doings that could come of it. Luckily though, as leaders have learned to respect the opinion of their followings and to embrace them, followers have also learned that we don’t have to settle for leaders we don’t believe in. We must stay reminded that leaders represent us but are not in charge of us without our permission as a majority. Everyone plays a part as a follower to someone ‘higher’ up on the totem pole but there will always be more followers than there are leaders and, in the end, numbers mean everything.