“A leader is the one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way” (John C. Maxwell).
The theme of survival means to live even if there are many difficult obstacles ahead you have to face such as extreme temperatures and family members dying/leaving you. In this book, Ji-Li Jiang (main character) has to live in China while Chairman Mao starts the ‘Cultural Revolution’. He changes the laws and rules which makes Ji-li’s life more difficult. Also, her dad is arrested, leaving her moderately depressed, and she doesn't have a chance to become as successful because of the new revolution (Ji-Li has a black family history).
Wu Zetian, also known as Empress Wu was the only woman who took the title of emperor in Chinese History. Empress Wu’s rise to power as a concubine reflects the changing dynamic of women in the Tang Dynasty. Empress Wu was able to take control of her own destiny and rid her competition and become the primary empress of Gaozong. When Gaozong suffered a stroke, she became empress and ruled during her sons two reigns, which she deposed. Scholars of the time offer biographies and stories that depict her as a tyrannical ruler. Historical analysis supports the viewpoint of Empress Wu being a forceful ruler. Empress Wu suppressed rebellions of Tang princes and had aggressive foreign policy. Empress Wu’s end of power came when she was in her eighties and no longer able to maintain her role as empress successfully. The reign of Empress Wu allowed women to have an increase in status. While in power, Empress Wu increased the mourning period for women to three years and allowed palace women to organize themselves into a
The thought of leadership evolved from the Great Man Theory to Trait Theory and Behavior Theory. The trait theory focuses on identifying distinctive personality traits and characteristics that are associated to successful leadership. The definitions of leadership appearing in the first three decades of the 20th century emphasized control and centralization of power (Northouse, 2016, p.2). In the early 1900s research began to see if leaders possessed certain traits or characteristics that would distinguish
President Kennedy’s moon speech at Rice University came at a time of high uncertainty regarding technology and the threat of war. Kennedy’s emotive speech aimed to lift and inspire those who feared the worst and to encourage the population to grow and achieve their greatest potential. The ‘moon speech’ will be analysed by uncovering key components of the speech that created a lasting impression on the authors of this report. It is important to firstly explore and identify the traits and attributes of leadership exhibited by President Kennedy in this speech. Additionally, a discussion amongst group members will be necessary to ascertain how and why this speech was inspiring, and whether this speech could be considered as the greatest speech
Prior to Empress Wu’s thrust to power, women were subordinate to men. They were expected to listen to the men in their lives which included their father, their husband and then their son. The women were living in a male dominated society that they did not have the ability to change their status, or be above men in any way. However, that changed following the rule of Empress Wu she showed people then that women were capable of much more than what they were expected of prior to her rule. Although many men were angered by her rule because they worried their power and control would diminish. Empress Wu’s ability to control society in a functional manner and better China over the course of her reign was able to prove how a women was able to be much more than what society and men wanted them to
Wu Zhao was an extraordinary woman of many talents. However, Wu Zhao’s intelligence and charisma were not enough to help her attain the throne. As the book states “Only with the assistance of Propagandists, rehoriticians, ideologies and strong-arms of different persuasions. All working, at sometimes cross purposes, to help her gain political legitimacy “. [1]. Wu Zhao was prepared to get rid of her enemies in any way necessary.
The reason for this near exposition is to highlight two wonderful female rulers from Ancient circumstances. Pharaoh Cleopatra and Wu Zetian. I will think about their techniques for govern, cleverness, and general accomplishments. I will likewise recognize a few likenesses and contrasts between Wu Zetian and Pharaoh Cleopatra. Pharaoh Cleopatra was conceived in Egypt in 69 BC. Her dad was Egypt's pharaoh. She originated from a group of Greek Kings and Queens who ruled Egypt for roughly 300 years. Wu Zetian was conceived in the time of 625 AD in China. Wu Zetian originated from a politically very much associated family in the early years of Tang Dynasty. She was instructed at home; Wu Zetian was educated to play music, compose, and read the
Firstly, a strong leader exhibits the characteristic of fairness. He/she must treat each and every person with respect, making judgements
First and foremost, leaders come in all shapes and forms, there is not one set physical mold for them, but what they all do share are certain characteristics and desires. Leadership in and of itself, is the ability to guide others, take responsibility, and share a vision that inspires and leaves others with a sense of empowerment. Evidently, it takes an exceptional leader to exhibit exceptional leadership skills. Additionally, the most prominent act that all adequate leaders demonstrate is that they are steadily engaged in enhancing their leadership skills. There have been various magnificent leaders throughout history, such as Martin Luther King Jr., Sojourner Truth, Nelson Mandela, and Eleanor Roosevelt. I thrive to follow in the footsteps of these phenomenal leaders and get closer to this goal everyday by practicing my leadership skills in my home, school, and community. Demonstrating leadership at home has proven to be life-changing, I’ve taken on the position of being a leader at home because I am the oldest child, therefore, I put the responsibility upon myself to teach my younger sisters the ropes of life, I also guide my parents to being healthier and better versions of themselves. My sisters look up to me as their role model and I live a life of example by exhibiting that self-respect, academic responsibility,
Wu Zhao was a good leader in ancient china because she reduced taxes for farmers and introduced a new work system for workers. Wu Zhao recommended and gave out ideas on how to make her dynasty much better than what is was before by making it affordable for others, for example, farmers. The effect of reducing taxes for farmers was that it made a less expensive food production and also made other buddhist from other dynasties realize how affordable Wu Zhao's dynasty is compared to theres. As well as the taxes reduced she had also
Wu set about to eliminate any of her rivals that posed threats, which included the empress in power at that time. Many of her own people reported ruthlessness that resulted in the dismissal, exile, or execution of many of her opponents (Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2000). After rising to power, Wu had a reign of terror where she damaged her reputation. In trying to stay in power, Wu tried to “remove from power the representatives of the northwestern aristocracy, who had controlled the government from the beginning of the dynasty through the medium of the imperial chancellery” (World Eras, 2003). Wu created a secret police force to spy on her opposition, and cruelly jailed or murdered anyone who stood in her way. The secret police led a reign of terror, justifying the mass executions. The people of China believed that Wu strangled her daughter in secret and had her spies inform the emperor that the current empress before her, “was responsible for the child’s murder. The emperor put aside his wife and married Wu in 655 BCE; she became his number-one wife” (Global Events, 2014). Historians believe that Empress Wu played a part in the death of the former empress in November 655. In trying to maintain power, Wu did not care about who was hurt along the way. Wu continued to show her cleverness and cunning by getting rid of other rivals, however, she
What are the qualities of a great leader? Confidence is typically one of the most common answers to this question, but when can confidence hurt instead of help? Hubris is defined as “extreme pride and arrogance shown by a character in a position of power that ultimately brings about his downfall.” It is a popular literary device used for characters who use their power to justify their own overestimation of their abilities to the point that they lose touch with reality. A character who exhibits hubris will go through any means possible to not lose their power in society. In the epic poem Beowulf, as well as in the play Macbeth, the protagonists gain the status of king through murder which makes them appear to be invincible because they are so
Individuals with leadership qualities are everywhere, if you can identify them. From within the family household, the school your children attend, to the more obvious; the workplace and political environments. However, what makes an individual a leader and what makes that leader an effective one? Can anyone be a leader?
Leadership has been defined in a variety of ways, there are multiple authors and theorists who have tried to define and understand leadership, all leading to varying theories and conclusions, but one thing that is universally understood is the importance of effective leadership and how someone with good leadership skills can impact so many people around them. (Kakabadse and Kakabadse, 1999; Yukl, 2002; Northouse,2013)