The great man theory is an early approach to understanding leadership that holds that leaders are born, not made, and that history is shaped chiefly by exceptional individuals whose innate traits, intellect, and force of will set them apart from ordinary people. Popularized in the nineteenth century, notably through the writings of Thomas Carlyle, the theory framed leadership as an inherent quality possessed by a small number of extraordinary men rather than something that could be taught, developed, or produced by circumstance. It has been widely challenged by later leadership research, including trait theory and situational approaches, but is still referenced in management literature as the historical starting point from which more systematic theories of leadership developed.
Facts
Core ClaimThe great man theory holds that history can be largely explained by the impact of great men, or heroes, whose superior individual attributes give them a decisive historical effect. 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
Trait theory is the 20th-century research program that grew out of and is standardly discussed against Great Man Theory.
Sources
1. Wikipedia, Great Man Theory
WikipediaWikipedia, Great man theory lead sectionQuote, Wikipedia, Great man theory lead section
The theory is primarily attributed to the Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher Thomas Carlyle, who gave a series of lectures on heroism in 1840, later published as On Heroes, Hero-Worship, & the Heroic in History
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