Leader Vs. Servant

Max DePree, author of Leadership is an Art, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant” (Forbes). In Lord of the Flies, Ralph is chosen as chief to lead the boys in an untouched microcosm. His choices in ways to deal with communication, enforcing rules and setting priorities deserve defending and criticizing. Although being a chief of young boys stranded on an island is difficult, Ralph’s leadership is good in the beginning and gradually becomes inefficient because the boy become more and more susceptible to savagery.
In the beginning, Ralph’s way of communication, enforcing rules and setting priorities is proficient because the boys are not yet vulnerable to savagery. After Ralph is elected chief, he lets Jack choose what Jack’s choirboys’ role can be on the island. Jack wants his choirboys to become “hunters” and, at the time, Ralph accedes with Jack that it is great idea and they “smile at each other with shy liking” (Golding 23). Ralph’s communication with Jack is good here because Ralph agrees with what Jack wants. He does not disagree with Jack, which is important because Jack is most likely hurt from losing the election against Ralph. According to Ralph, Jack is a valuable person on the island and listening to his opinions and desires is essential, since Jack knows his own mind. Although Ralph is building a harmonious relationship with Jack, he does not have one with Piggy. When he blurts out Piggy’s nickname to the boys, even though Piggy desperately tells Ralph not to, Piggy becomes upset. Ralph hovers about what to say to Piggy between an apology and an insult and ends up telling Piggy that Piggy’s name is “better Piggy than Fatty” with “d...

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...loody thief” (Golding 179). This is poor communication because insulting Jack would only lead Jack to anger and violence. Ralph basically calls for violence. Jack acts hastily because of anger and demands the boys to tie Sam and Eric up with rope. Tying Sam and Eric motivates the boys deeper into savagery.
Although being a chief of young boys stranded on an island is difficult, Ralph’s leadership is good in the beginning and gradually becomes inefficient because the boy become more and more susceptible to savagery. Golding shows the ongoing growth into complete savagery and as the boys grow, Golding also shows how rules and savagery cannot exist in the same world. It would have been nice to give an advice to Ralph that the first important step a leader is supposed to take is to define reality and the last thing is to say thank you while being a servant in between.