Learning From Famous Leaders

Learning From Famous Leaders - Written Assignment

Presented to the Faculty of Eastern University

In partial fulfillment of the requirements

For the Bachelor of Arts in Management of Information Systems

Ethical Character of Leadership

OM 440

Instructor

Sharon McGee

Leadership is a concept that has many characteristics associated with it, but may be best understood by how effective an individual or group is at leading others to accomplish a goal. This paper will look at some leadership characteristics demonstrated by Marcus Garvey, who established the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in Jamaica, West Indies in 1914.

Garvey founded the UNIA to elevate the economic, cultural and political lives of blacks throughout the world. The UNIA became the largest black organization in history, with over two million members. Garvey's strong personality and charisma held the organization together with a leadership style that some may consider autocratic, since he was very strict and inflexible regarding the standards he established for his organization.

Charisma is a criterion we often look for in leaders. While it can be argued whether charisma is "possessed by leaders independent of society or a quality dependent upon recognition by followers" (Phillips, D. T., p. 77), Garvey clearly exhibited this quality. In fact, he came to America with little money, friends or connections, but his strong personality and commanding oratory skills quickly gained him a following (Wormser, R., 2007).

Another mark of an effective leader is competency, which can be measured by how productive or efficient they are. Pat Carrigan of automaker General Motors is excellent example of productivity and efficiency.

Under Pat Carrigan's leadership at General Motors' Lakewood plant, she was able to reduce grievances from a record high of 5,500 to zero. When she worked at General Motors' Bay City location, she helped productivity increase by 40 percent. (Kouzes, J.M., Posner, B.Z, p. 70).

In like fashion, Garvey rose from a nearly destitute street orator to become the publisher of Negro World, a newspaper that was read around the world (PBS, 2007). Garvey's productivity as a leader can also be seen by the implementation of economic programs such as the

Ms. Carrigan's effectiveness in this leadership discipline was honed in part by the time she spent establishing her credibility. This included things like visiting plants to learn how cars are built. She realized that the point of these visits was to learn enough to get invited back to help at the plants. Although others reported back to her manager that she was helpful, Carrigan realized this level of credibility did not mean she was yet considered as a credible manager (Kouzes, J.M., Posner, B.Z, p. 71).

Like Ms. Carrigan, Marcus Garvey had to work from the bottom up to establish his credibility as a leader. At the age of 19, he fought for increased pay for unionized printers at the age of 19 (Garvey, p. xi). When he worked as a laborer at the United Fruit Company plantation in Costa Rica, Garvey's first hand experience with the poor working conditions at the plantation inspired to speak against the conditions and organize his fellow plantation workers (Garvey, p. xii).

These early experiences helped him understand the plight of the black and poor workers. When he spoke to crowds, he drew upon these experiences to connect with his audience as a "common man" (Phillips, D. T., p. 165).

Marcus Garvey's personality differed markedly from that of two other prominent black leaders of his time, Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. DuBois. Washington's image was one of humility and courageousness that working class blacks believed was submissive to whites.

DuBois projected the image of a confident, hostile, and reserved individual. In contrast, Garvey initially came across as easy-going and flamboyant. However, he flaunted his blackness wherever he went. Black pride and black identity were the cornerstones of his philosophy, and they vibrated through everything he said and did.

The racial pride exhibited by Garvey fueled his vision of political and economic independence for blacks. Garvey emphasized that any that any political or social gains made by blacks would be fleeting without an economic foundation.

Garvey