I think the Bezio article brings up an important point when evaluating history and historical leaders. It can be easy to glorify the accomplishments of past “Great Man” leaders without considering the context they lead within. As we talked about in our discussion group on Monday, many people are quick to praise Thomas Jefferson and label him as an American hero for the work he did and structures he put in place at the formation of our country. However, that does not include the fact that he was an abusive slave owner who built his accomplishments upon the forced labor of other human beings. Understanding that context is hugely important when looking at Jefferson. Knowing those facts, it is clear that that is not the type of person that we should praise as a nation and should not regard him as one of the “Great Man” leaders of American history.
Harvey’s chapter also echoes the importance of understanding “Where are we?” when studying leadership. The context that a leader is trying to lead within is going to enormously change what is appropriate for that circumstance. Being the CEO of an international company is going to require hugely different leadership strategies than a teacher leading a classroom. Even the age group that a teacher is teaching will have an impact on what methods are appropriate and successful for leadership within that context. Like Bezio, Harvey emphasizes learning about our position in the world as well as other questions directed at learning about ourselves before we can look to the future and envision our goals. Understanding how leaders – whether that is a historical figure, contemporary, or ourselves – fit into the world around them is the first step in learning about them and becoming more effective.
I think you emphasized a really important point about the context in both readings. Asking that key question of “where are we?” will help us as readers and learners properly understand and analyze historical leaders and why they were successful or not. So often we just focus on the person and their decisions without taking into account that wider context.
I completely agree with your post. The article discusses how it is much more important to understand who you are as a person and be able to adapt to the world around you than to understand where you want to go. Or understand what you want the future to look like because as the saying goes “Man plans and God laughs.”