Churchil: An Ideal Leader

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Winston Churchill, a former Prime Minister of England, once told his country that "[They] shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, [they] shall fight on the beaches, [they] shall fight on the landing grounds, [they] shall fight in the fields and in the streets, [they] shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." Churchill, in the depths of despair when Great Britain was being bombed, proved to be an inspirational and charismatic leader. He became the face of Great Britain during dark times when Hitler was casting his shadow over the world. Churchill couldn't command people to follow him, but instead lead by example and inspiration. In Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, a large group of schoolboys are trapped on an island when their plane is shot down. They form a small society, and elect Ralph as their leader. Ralph is portrayed as practical and democratic, similar to historical leader Winston Churchill. Ralph, in Lord of the Flies, was an ideal leader because he was inspirational, courageous, and resilient, all similar qualities to Winston Churchill.
Both Ralph and Winston Churchill had the capability to inspire people and make bold decisions, two of their paramount attributes. Despite the ominous circumstances, Churchill filled his country with optimism. Similar to Churchill, Ralph inspired hope within his group of boys. He instigated the hope by telling them that “ ‘[They’ll] build the fire now.’ The greatest ideas are simplest. Now that there was something to be done they worked with passion.” (129). With the fire signal as a symbol of hope, Ralph can fill his small society with optimism. He thinks boldly, yet simplistic, and encourages his group to work hard, with the ultimate goal of being rescued. In t...

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...t was because of Churchill that Great Britain and the rest of society were able to overcome World War II. Also, he did not demand for followers, but gained them through his inspirational words. Near the end of the war on November 9, 1942, Winston Churchill gave a speech, one that would go down in history. He said, “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

Works Cited

"The End of the Beginning." The End of the Beginning. The Churchill Centre, n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2014.
"Character Traits of Winston Churchill." Character Traits of Sir Winston Churchill. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2014.
Hayward, Steven F. "Churchill's Personal Traits." The CEO Advantage Journal. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2014.
"Churchill: Leader and Statesman." Churchill: Leader and Statesman. The Churchill Centre, n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2014.

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