Introduction
In order to manage the processes occurring within groups, be it in business, politics, education, or any other sphere, it is particularly interesting to study informal ways of influencing interpersonal relationships. In this regard, one of the most relevant areas in modern social sciences has become theoretical and practical research into the phenomenon of leadership. It is usually described as an aspect of role differentiation in the group. Therefore, leadership determines the role of the individual in the system of intragroup relations, which in turn is directed by the requirements and expectations on the part of the leader themselves and their followers. Another conceptual approach sees this phenomenon as a function of the situation building on the assumption that the manifestation of leadership depends on the situation in which the group and the leader find themselves. Within the framework of this theory, a leader is not only a person who adapts to the specifics of the problem at hand but most clearly shows their influencing potential depending on the situation itself.
The process of leadership is comprised of many variables, the main being the ability to listen and understand, to see the whole picture and to unite people. A good example provided by Sacavém et al. (2017) suggests that “leaders’ expressing immediate behaviors would elicit greater ratings of charismatic leadership from followers than leaders who conveyed “non-immediate and non-dominant” displays” (p. 24). Finally, it is also seen as a process of influence between the individual and followers, on the basis of which it is possible to achieve significant group goals. Thus, it can be concluded that the phenomenon of leadership is indeed multifaceted and requires a comprehensive understanding of all its specific features, which is best learned by real-life examples. This can be done through the process of reflecting on two leaders – one ethical and one unethical – from world history.
Unethical Leader Example: Idi Amin
On April 11, 1979, simultaneously with the end of the Ugandan-Tanzanian war, one of the most cruel, unpredictable, and eccentric dictators of the 20th century, Idi Amin, was overthrown. For eight years, Amin tyrannized his fellow citizens, foreigners living in Uganda, as well as residents of neighboring countries. Up to half a million Ugandans became victims of the repressions of his regime, and Amin personally killed a significant part of that number.
In 1970s, in Uganda, a military junta seized power, heading for “Ugandization” of the country. Its leader Dada Ume Idi Amin, is known in history as one of the most bloodthirsty, unbalanced, and at the same time, comical dictators. He admired Adolf Hitler, whose gigantic monument was not installed only after the categorical protests of the Soviet Union, hated the Jews, and was rather inconsistent in his politics. Nationalism and anti-imperialism coexisted in Amin with anti-democratic beliefs and unmotivated cruelty in the struggle to achieve the set goals.
Quite quickly, Amin turned against himself a considerable part of his own people. The indignation of the Ugandan population was caused by the prosperity of corruption, speculation, arbitrariness, and lawlessness. Peterson (2021) adds that “Ugandans were called upon to defend cultures, to struggle against imperialism and racism, and to transform the architecture of the economy” (p. 620). The first anti-Amin organization appeared outside of Uganda as early as 1973, with several others following suit and forming a coalition. Despite their different political views, their leaders were united by the desire to overthrow the dictatorial regime, restore democracy in the country, and hold free elections.
Why Idi Amin Was a Dictator, How He Demonstrated It, and Its Effect on Uganda
Idi Amin utilized an authoritative leadership style, using his power and position to enforce his will and subdue any opponents that arose in the country. According to Taylor et al. (2021), “during his reign from 1971 to 1979, Idi Amin embraced visual media as a tool for archiving the achievements of populist military rule” (p. 413). His example can be used as an almost textbook definition of the term “dictatorship.” Johnson (2018) supports that claim, stating that “evil leaders commit atrocities, using their power to inflict severe physical or psychological harm” (p. 35). Amin built his rule on the assumption that he was chosen by God to become a true leader of his nation, and he believed in that illusion throughout his whole career. During Amin’s presidency, ethnic conflicts were at their highest in Uganda due to power struggles between different tribes, but Amin did not make any attempt to resolve them. Per his orders, the people of Uganda were exterminated along national and religious lines – the number of victims is estimated at tens of thousands. The powers of the police had been significantly expanded, and random passers-by often became prisoners.
The Muslim president also turned his hatred on Christians, despite the fact that more than half of Uganda’s population was Christian in the 1970s. To further enforce his leadership, Amin gave orders to assassinate the leaders of the tribes who had great authority among the people. Aldama et al. (2018) supply that, usually, unpopular and unsupported regimes resort to repressions and fear as a means to protect their authority. Three-quarters of the cabinet ministers were members of his tribe from the outskirts of Uganda. Moreover, the president put Muslims in high positions and executed all officials indiscriminately. He never not differentiate between those who worked under the previous president and ministers and politicians devoted to the new head of state.
A Specific Example of Amin’s Unethical Act of Leadership
The only successful economic strategy that Amin came up with had been highly unethical: the president decided to sell the bodies of victims of repression to their relatives. Since the burial ritual is one of the most important for most Ugandan tribes, it was a rather convenient source of income for the president and his regime. The families of the victims came daily to the Kabira forest, which became a dumping ground for many decomposing corpses, in the hope of ransoming the body of a relative. Only after paying a specific fee could they take and bury the body properly, and if they did not have the money, the corpse would be left to rot in the forest. The sales process was adjusted quite quickly; even a fixed pricelist was set. For a minor official, the representatives of the president’s Bureau demanded a little over two thousand modern dollars, while for a major official, it was twice as much. The money from these transactions went directly into supporting Amin’s lavish lifestyle.
Example of an Ethical Leader: Dalai Lama XIV
Why the 14th Dalai Lama is a Servant Leader, How He Demonstrates It, and Its Effect on Tibet
The Dalai Lama is the ultimate authority figure for every Buddhist on the planet, the one who unites the Tibetan people around him. Historically, Dalai Lamas were the rulers of Tibet – both in religious and official ways. The future 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso was born on July 6, 1935, in a peasant family in the village of Taktser, in the province of Amdo in northeastern Tibet. At the age of two, he was discovered by a search party of monks and recognized as the reincarnation of Thubten Gyatso – the late 13th Dalai Lama.
Tibetan Buddhists consider the Dalai Lamas to be incarnations of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion and patron of Tibet. However, Aguilar (2020) supplies that “the Chinese invasion and Dalai Lama’s exile in India transformed him into a universal figure of peace, rather than solely being the leader of Tibet” (p. 1). The essential difference that distinguishes the servant leadership model from any other is that servant leaders act for the benefit of their followers, of organizations and societies they belong to. Song (2018) claims that “the awareness of a servant-leader, as a vigilant type of consciousness, can be aware of self, others, relations, spirit, situation, and time” (p. 262). The 14th Dalai Lama is a perfect example of such commitment to social good and helping others.
In 1949, the invasion of the territory of Tibet by the troops of communist China began, and in 1950, the Dalai Lama was called upon to assume full political power. Thus, he became head of state and government, and, due to his persistence and continuous work towards resolving the political conflict, in 1951, the Tibetan-Chinese agreement was signed. According to it, Tibet became part of China, and the Chinese government guaranteed the inviolability of the political, religious, and cultural institutions of the country. Nevertheless, the Tibetans continued to actively resist the new Chinese authorities, and in 1959 mass anti-Chinese protests unfolded in Lhasa. In the midst of the unrest, the Dalai Lama fled to India with a small group of close associates, and Chinese troops brutally suppressed the uprising.
The Dalai Lama led measures to preserve the Tibetan culture: a system was created in India to teach refugee children their native language and culture. According to Kumar (2018), “servant leadership is about finding satisfaction and motivation by prioritizing and serving other’s needs” (p. 44). Servant leader sees their purpose in the role of a helper, therefore, making the principle of service his leadership behavior base. With Dalai Lama’s direct support, the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts and the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies were opened. The 14th Dalai Lama continuously tried to convey the demands of his compatriots to the international community represented by the United Nations. According to Van Voorst (2020), “the current Dalai Lama has traveled around the world for speaking engagements and Tibetan Buddhist rituals, and he meets regularly with national leaders to plead the cause of Tibet” (p. 120). Thus, in 1959, 1961, and 1965, the UN General Assembly adopted three resolutions requiring the protection of the Tibetan people.
A Specific Example of the 14th Dalai Lama’s Ethical Act of Leadership
In 1963, the 14th Dalai Lama presented a draft democratic constitution for Tibet, which was then adopted under the name “Charter of Tibetans in Exile.” It proclaimed freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and movement for the people of Tibet. In 1987, with his plan for a peaceful settlement in Tibet, Dalai Lama spoke in the US Congress, and in 1988, he addressed the members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg with new proposals. Dalai Lama proposed to create a self-governing political system in the provinces of Tibet, and China was asked to take over the foreign policy and defense functions. The Chinese side did not give a positive response to the initiatives of the Dalai Lama and saw them as a separatist threat, but they were widely recognized in the West. In 1989, for the non-violent struggle for the liberation of Tibet, the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
After all the struggle, in 1990, the government-in-exile was democratized. The Cabinet of Ministers, formerly appointed by the Dalai Lama, and the Assembly of Tibetan People’s Deputies – a parliament in exile – were dissolved. After that, in different countries of the world, Tibetan emigrants took part in the elections of a new parliament, and the parliament chose a new cabinet of ministers. The next step towards democratization was taken in 2001 when emigrants elected a senior cabinet minister in direct elections. The plan of the 14th Dalai Lama provided for the transformation of Tibet into a nature reserve and a zone of peace.
Most Important Lesson Learned from this Course
Looking back to history and reflecting on the situations that have already occurred and provided specific consequences have always been interesting mental exercises to me. I believe that we can learn a lot by not just acquiring general knowledge of history, like main events and timelines but by studying specific examples in detail – such as with this exercise. Understanding how leadership works, which forms it can take, and how leaders influence people around them as well as those who are not directly connected to them is vital to enhancing one’s worldview. This course allowed me to explore deeper how our society developed and changed throughout time, how certain events triggered specific effects on our civilization, and how they still affect our world even now. I think this course would be helpful to me in the future, as I now understand better the intricate framework of our society and what it is built from. Learning about specific leaders from history offered me an opportunity to research interpersonal relationships and the phenomenon of leadership itself, and I can now apply my knowledge to the events that transpire today.
Conclusion
The problem of effective leadership, especially in the area of politics and social relations, is very relevant to modern society. There is still a need for a deep understanding of the totality of circumstances and factors affecting the effectiveness and efficiency of leadership, which is studied both in theoretical and applied aspects. When considering the ethical side of leadership, one should consider not only the personal characteristics of a leader but also the situation in which they operate. Leadership is a complex phenomenon, and the prospective design of its functioning as a kind of institution includes a number of interrelated components that need to be taken into account during analysis. The main ones among them are the personality of the leader, their team and followers, the organizational, financial, and status foundations of leadership. Additionally, when it comes to statesmanship, the quality of the use of political and information technologies in the appropriate situation and at a certain time should also be reviewed. The ability to solve tasks that refer to a certain moral and ethical paradigm is one of the basic skills of any leader, and the examples discussed in the paper demonstrate that.
References
Aguilar, M.I. (2020). The 14th Dalai Lama: Peacekeeping and Universal Responsibility (1st ed.). Routledge India.
Aldama, A., Vásquez-Cortés, M., & Young, L. E. (2018). Fear and citizen coordination against dictatorship. Journal of Theoretical Politics, 31(1), 103–125.
Johnson, C. E. (2018). Meeting the ethical challenges of leadership: Casting light or shadow. Sage.
Kumar, S. (2018). Servant Leadership: A Review of Literature. Pacific Business Review International, 11(1), 43–50.
Peterson, D. R. (2021). Government work in Idi Amin’s Uganda. Africa, 91(4), 620–640.
Sacavém, A., Martinez, L. F., da Cunha, J. V., Abreu, A. M., & Johnson, S. K. (2017). Charismatic leadership: A study on delivery styles, mood, and performance. Journal of Leadership Studies, 11(3), 21–38.
Song, J. Y. (2018). Leading through awareness and healing: A servant leadership model. The International Journal of Servant-Leadership, 12(1), 245–284.
Taylor, E. C., Abiti, N. A., Peterson, D. R., & Vokes, R. (2021). Archives of Idi Amin. History in Africa, 48, 413–427.
Van Voorst, R. E. (2020). Relg: World, 4e. Cengage Learning.