Watership Down Leadership Analysis

In the novel of Watership Down, Richard Adams tells a story of a peculiar band of rabbits and writes about an epic journey filled with danger, trials, and hope. One quote Adams says is, “Animals don't behave like men, he said. If they have to fight, they fight; and if they have to kill they kill. But they don't sit down and set their wits to work to devise ways of spoiling other creatures lives and hurting them. They have dignity and animality.” (237) Adams attempts to get the readers to listen to the leadership lessons in the story he wrote. The kind of leadership style Adams portrays through Hazel is the participative leadership style. This kind of style often shows boosting morale in the followers, because when a situation or decision arises, everybody puts in their ideas and opinions. But the responsibility solely descends the leader of the group. This kind of leadership style is shown everywhere in real life, and the author ties this real-life leadership style into the character Hazel. Throughout the entire journey, Hazel addresses and overcomes numerous situations and decisions. The three points of leadership Hazel demonstrates is the ability to keep it all under control and head in the right direction,

The problem that presents itself to Hazel is, should they try to secretly break into Efrafa to get does for their warren. Hazel displays ingenuity and devises a covert plan to deceive General Woundwort, the chief of Efrafa. Hazel dispatches Bigwig into the enemy warren to help obtain the does under the alias, Thaylia. Once there, Bigwig quickly finds a group of does that are attempting to escape as well. With the help of a bird and a storm, they manage to escape, but must fight to obtain their freedom. This is a classic example of how Hazel, using his cleverness, saves their new