Self-Development School

In contrast to the great man/woman interpretation of leadership, which assumes a single, focal point of drive, energy, and inspiration, the self-development school portrays a world of dialogue, in which debate between the leaders and the “common person” is the mechanism that identifies the way forward, and involvement in discussion is the lever to gaining the commitment of others to follow. This more societally based interpretation of leadership provides a broader platform on which to analyze leaders—from the singular great individual to an interaction among so-called equals (or almost equals)!

The ancient Greeks, founders of the wisdom movement in leadership, were deeply influenced by the Socratic question of “what ought ...

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