Leadership Qualities

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What is a leader? In times of crisis the ultimate survival of a group depends on the leader, or person who steps forward to take control, direct others, and maintain order. Although in today's society people are judged based on their appearance, yet looks have no influence on whether or not a person is capable of being a successful leader. Instead, good leadership is based on the individual skills and traits that the person possesses. The characters Ralph, Jack, Simon, and Piggy in William Golding's Lord of the Flies are perfect examples of people who may not be the best looking physically, but who despite this have the superior qualities to be an excellent leader.

Ralph is undoubtedly the most well rounded leader on the entire island. He shows courage and confidence, both of which are key characteristics of a great leader. An excellent example of Ralph’s courage appears when the boys venture out in search of the beast into unknown parts of the island. "His mouth was tight and pale. He put back his hair very slowly.....He forced his feet to move until they carried him out on to the neck of the land" (Golding 130). Ralph instinctively knows that as a leader he must physically take charge of the search party, despite his feelings of fear. Another small situation were Ralph shows courage is when he steps in between 2 people arguing and takes control of the situation. “Ralph pushed between them and got a thump on the chest.” (Golding 90). Alongside courage, Ralph also exhibits confidence in his role of leadership. Throughout the novel, Ralph consistently says what needs to be done with confidence. In chapter 2, Ralph lays down the rules and what must be done to survive. “If we have a signal going, they’ll come…And another thing. We ...

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A leader in the Lord of the Flies is responsible for the welfare of the boys. To ensure the well-being of everyone while they are on the island the leader must be able to make good decisions, listen to every member of the group, and maintain a clear mind despite the uncivilized environment. Ralph, Jack, Simon, and Piggy are those whom are on the island and that are capable of doing all of. The qualities are essential to a good leader as without them, the little civilization remaining would be abolished. Each member shows their leadership qualities in a variety of ways, yet none of the boys grasp all of the qualities required to have a flawless civilization. Considering their age, it is remarkable how well developed their skills and understanding of leadership is.

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