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Period: 495 BCE to 425 BCE
Pericles
A strong proponent of Athenian democracy, Pericles spearheaded the idea that individuals should have a voice in their government as up until its development Athens was ruled by a system similar to monarchy. Through his influence on other Athenians, Pericles assisted with the dismantling of a power lying in the hands of the few and replaced it with the hands of many. He is truly inspirational given he believed in the idea of not ruling over his fellow Athenians, but rather, ruling with them. -
Period: 625 to 705
Empress Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian served as the only woman in history to lead China as emperor. She believed in supporting arts and literature and thanks to this, Chinese culture flourished. During this era of flourishment, Wu Zetian also encouraged the development of much needed schools that had not been developed and encouraged the learning of arts and literature. She understood the importance of learning and further education as leaders should. When we stop learning, we lose our edge and with that our impact. -
Period: 1558 to
Queen Elizabeth I
Similar to Wu Zetian, Queen Elizabeth I pushed her country to embrace literacy and poetry as a result she increased the literacy of her nation. But most importantly, prior to her rule, the Catholic and Protestant churches in England had many conflicts between the two. But due to her ability to navigate conflict through negotiation and communication, it gave way to peace and stability. With this, it is truly admirable to see her ability to negotiate between two groups within her own following. -
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Jean-Jacques Rousseau
A philosopher, Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote the "Social Contract" which emphasized that individuals came together to develop society and that government rule was only derived from those individuals. In a time where monarchs were generally in control, this certainly was controversial. However, it is important for leaders to realize that their followers are what makes them leaders. If followers are not taken into consideration then leaders are destined to fail. -
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George Washington
George Washington embodied integrity built through following through with his ideas and promises. With this, he was well respected by his fellow countrymen. This is something that was needed by many Americans during the Revolutionary War. Through his integrity as a leader he was able to push the now United States to win a war against the strongest empire ever seen. This is truly inspiring as integrity is something a leader must have as well as the drive to meet the odds head on and beat them. -
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Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln is symbolic with the Civil War-a great divide in America-during his tenure as a leader. While he was both a visionary as well as political savvy leader, his time as a leader during the Civil War brought out his mastering of adaptability and resilience. These two things are vital to leaders as you never know what you as a leader will face. Yet, when faced with challenges, it is vital that leaders rise to both see what needs to be changed as well as encourage others to stay strong. -
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John F. Kennedy (JFK)
JFK is undoubtedly one of those leaders that many wonder "what if?". He served as president of the U.S. during a vital time in history for segregation and dealing with communism. His ability to be a visionary leader led him to be able to foresee the challenges and prepare to meet those challenges. I believe that being able to be a visionary allows you to see where you want a organization to be as well as challenges that may arise. -
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Martin Luther King Jr.
You can not think of the Civil Rights Movement without thinking of Martin Luther King. The period during which Dr. King was marked by segregation and a rise against it. Dr. King served as many things but most importantly a charismatic and inspirational leader to bring a county long divided together. He is inspiring in his ability to bring people together across a large divide through inspirational communication as well charisma. Impactful leaders demonstrate both of these things. -
Future Leaders of the 2030s
At this point, leadership will have slightly changed in terms of day-to-day operations to meet the ever growing use of technology in the workplace as well political change, organizational change, and global events. Moreover, it is going to be essential to train and retain employees to hire and keep skilled workers. This is due to more and more individuals retiring. This is not something new, yet the population of the workforce is larger now than in the past. -
Future Leaders in 2050
It is difficult to say with certainty what change and challenges will be seen in leadership thirty years for now. However, one thing is for certain and that is that leadership will have changed to meet the needs of society very different from our current one. Technology, competition, changing demographics, supply and demand, economics, and many other things will likely play into leadership skills. With this, leaders during this time will need to be adaptive and effective in applying change.