Were these leaders “perfect”?
Adolf Hitler
-Aside from the millions of deaths he was responsible for, Hitler had other issues that ultimately limited his effectiveness as leader for the Germans. Before we get into that, I would like to discuss something that he was good at, and that was his use of coercive power. According to the book, “To coerce means to influence others to do something against their will and may include manipulating penalties and rewards in their work environment.” (Northouse) This is exactly what Hitler was good at. He would use mass propaganda to influence his people in such a way that they would believe that the Jewish people were a threat to society.
Next, I’m going to move into talking about some of his flaws that limited his success as a leader. The first one that I will be talking about is Hitler’s distrust for his generals. As the years went by during WWII, “He came to believe that Germany's victories were his alone and that most of his generals were narrow-minded, overly cautious and incapable.” (bbc.co.uk) This just goes to show how self-centered and incompetent Hitler was. Despite his generals remaining loyal to him, he still became less and less fond of them. I believe this was a result of him believing that he could win the war all by himself, without the help or advice of his subordinates. A classic example of how this failed was the battle of Stalingrad in 1942. Before the invasion (of Moscow), two of Hitler’s senior-most advisors told him that they disagreed with the plan. Despite his better judgment, Hitler ignored their advice and continued on anyway. As they entered the city they believed they had a good shot at defeating the Russians, but as time past Hitler realized that he was vastly outnumbered and was heard saying, “Surrender is forbidden. Sixth Army will hold their position to the last man.” (historyplace.com) That turned out to be a big mistake on his part because the German army suffered mass casualties. Many consider this battle to be a turning point in the war.
A second flaw that effected Hitler’s success as a leader was his reliance on instinct. The reason for this was because Hitler simply didn’t have the necessary skills to control his military and be successful at it. According to bbc.co.uk, “He tended to reject any information that did not fit with his (often wildly inaccurate) preconceptions.” This was a major drawback of his, because how can one expect to be an effective leader if you never listen to other people’s opinion. Hitler would also brush off critical decisions that had to be made during the war, which allowed the allies time to prepare for his next move.
The third and final flaw I will be discussing was Hitler’s strategy, or lack there of. Hitler had no clear concept of what he was doing, “He began by accepting war against the British Empire without any clear conception of how to win it.” (bbc.co.uk) All he wanted to do was go out and fight, and he wasn’t really factoring in the long-term effects of all his actions. After accepting war with the three superpowers (U.S., Soviet Union, Great Britain) he began to realize that his resources would eventually be exhausted; which is exactly what happened 1945 when the Nazis eventually exhausted themselves and were forced to surrender. Nelson Mandela According to the book, Nelson Mandela was a man who carried great referent, or personal, power. When people thing of him, they usually think of all the great accomplishments and changes he made to South Africa. Despite all of the good things he did, he was not always such a perfect man.
Mandela had a majority of run-ins with trouble that ultimately led to his imprisonment in 1964. After a massacre of unarmed civilians by police in South Africa, “Mandela abandoned his nonviolent stance and began advocating acts of sabotage against the South African regime.” (brittanica.com) What he meant is that he wanted to put a stop the apartheid (strict white government rule). This is what ultimately put him in jail for 27 years, as he was tried for conspiracy, sabotage, and treason. Another thing to note is, “Mandela also sought assistance from leaders such as Muammar al-Qaddafi and Fidel Castro.” (brittanica.com)
Despite these things happening early on in his life, it had little to know effect on how his followers viewed him, and ultimately made him one of the most compassionate leaders of all time. References
 Geoffrey, Megargee. BBC News. BBC, n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
 "The History Place - Defeat of Hitler: Catastrophe at Stalingrad." The History Place - Defeat of Hitler: Catastrophe at Stalingrad. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
 "Nelson Mandela: Flawed Saint." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d.
 The book