To what extent can leaders play a role in the shaping their subordinates?

Genghis Khan as a leader can be similar to current leaders in the sense that he used modern day strategies and his communication shaped his army into fighting for his cause.  The Mongols used to hate each other but with Genghis Khan's help they united and fought under the same empire.  Furthermore, his role as a leader reached out much more than just leading but engaging into combat and shared the equal burden of death in war.  This promoted the want to be closer with the leader and improved subordinate loyalty even it meant force.

The extent as a leader reached further than most of the other leaders at the time.  He respected others including women and children which in the eyes of some was considered very respectable even though he was a brutal murderer.  My perception of his extent was that he created the greatest empire in history due to his engagement as a leader.


For Reference:
Yates, Mick. "Genghis Khan." Leader Values. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2013. <http://www.leader-values.com/leaders.php?lid=3>.

What was the structure and culture like within his team?

Genghis Khan's army had a very strategic structure that comprised of his army, horses and himself. His structure was divided into four, each son having one. He also used loyalty to upgrade rankings of soldiers and the more loyal the member is the likelihood of being of a high ranking is very high. The army was divided into three, attacking from the left, right and centre which helped them to effectively conquer an area. He strategically used mounted archers to break up the enemy's formations to make them easier to fend off.

Traditional Mongolian Clothes
Source: N.d. Photograph. MONGOLIAN TRADITIONAL CLOTHES. Web. 30 Sept. 2013. <http://www.interactivemongolia.com/images/Baharhalt%20mongol%20huvtsas.png>.

Culture within his team followed the Mongol culture as they did not want their heritage to die. This culture included shamanism and rituals with the use of native clothing. These factors in my opinion may have affected their battles as the rituals done may have some kind of positive impact on their battles and they could have had good morale boosts.

For Reference:
"The Mongols in World History." Asia Topics in World History. N.p., 2004. Web. 30 Sept. 2013. <http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/mongols/china/china3_g.htm>.


Turnbull, Stephen. Genghis Khan & the Mongol Conquests 1190-1400. N.p.: Osprey, 2003. Google Books. Web. 30 Sept. 2013. <http://books.google.com.my/books?id=N2MMD0yfxyAC&dq=structure+of+genghis+khan+army&source=gbs_navlinks_s>.

How did Genghis Khan’s leadership style affect his team?

Genghis Khan was a leader who knew how to unite his people. His leadership style had united what once were enemies into a single army that followed him to victory. His army was in that period of time considered the first modern army and Genghis Khan’s leadership methods were developed from experience from the battlefield and from his army’s input. He uses Mayo’s theory of motivation by engaging himself with his army. He promotes communication and working in teams which led to the success of his invasions. His management was indeed brutal but it still proved very effective and the army dared not to oppose him. His actions as a leader had proven to be much better than most leaders as he was one of the few leaders who actually engaged into war with his allies. I believe that his leadership has made his army motivated and committed to his goal. This would mean that his army had a higher rate of success in invasions as they are committed to the cause even it meant death.

For Reference:
Riley, Jim. "Theories of Motivation." Theories of Motivation. N.p., 23 Sept. 2012. Web. 27 Sept. 2013. <http://www.tutor2u.net/business/gcse/people_motivation_theories.htm>.

Leith, William. "If Only Tony Blair Had Paid Attention to Genghis Khan." The Guardian. N.p., 15 Mar. 2009. Web. 27 Sept. 2013. <http://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/mar/15/genghis-khan-john-man>.

What communication style did Genghis Khan use?

Genghis Khan was a man of open communication. Open communication is basically two-way communication that involves the ability to communicate with both a superior and a subordinate. He used communication on the battlefield to conduct strategies that help him win. These strategies were easily conducted and well thought out as he was one of the only leaders that actually fight on the battlefield which could give him a hands-on approach and much experience.

The Mongols were the first modern army because of their strategies and weapons that were used. Genghis Khan communicated very well and through it he actually started the army itself, gaining followers and discussing strategy to invade. His method of communication helped him to achieve that edge on the battlefield and could be the main reason that he created one of the largest empires in the world at the time.

I feel that his experience on the battlefield has led to a much better strategical approach in his invasions that could be his advantage compared to other leaders that did not have.

For Reference:
Weatherford, Jack. "Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World."DiploFoundation. N.p., 2004. Web. 23 Sept. 2013. <http://www.diplomacy.edu/resources/books/reviews/genghis-khan-and-making-modern-world>.

How did Genghis Khan motivate and recruit his army?

Genghis Khan was always with his army when invading and not just waiting for the result in a safe area and planning another attack. This proved to motivate his army to work together with his power and during invasions he could directly and instantly give orders to individual soldiers. This is a good lesson for leaders as it will help strengthen the bond in the team and contribute to better understanding and experience of how to do it more effectively in the future.

N.d. Photograph. Genghis Khan and the Muslim Holocaust? History Unravelled, 23 Aug. 2002. Web. 21 Sept. 2013. <http://historytalkiez.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/genghis-khan-soldiers-images.jpg>.

He often tried to avoid fights to save men and use that population as recruits for his army instead of slaughtering them. Genghis Khan used this method to increase the size of his massive army. The lesson here is that leaders should not always look down on others and use them to learn more.

For Reference:
Yusoontorn, Sompong. "10 Leadership Lessons From Genghis Khan." 10 Leadership Lessons From Genghis Khan. N.p., 27 Apr. 2011. Web. 21 Sept. 2013. <http://www.slideshare.net/bright9977/10-leadership-lessons-from-genghis-khan>.

What kind of leader was Genghis Khan like?

Genghis Khan was known to be a ruthless, evil and a barbaric leader but one of the most visionary leaders that conquered and created the largest empire in history. Since his childhood, he took criticism and advice without judgement from his family and friends. Even with his lack of education and illiteracy, he had a clear vision and knew what he needed to do to achieve it. He had unified tribes that once were enemies into a single nation to join his cause. He was known to keep his promises and helped to conquer many other nations with help. He was mostly an autocrat but knew what he needed to do to unite others which required democracy. He also shared hardships with his followers and promised them a great nation in return.

N.d. Photograph. Genghis Khan as Portrayed in a 14th-century Yuan Era Album.Wikipedia. Web. 19 Sept. 2013. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:YuanEmperorAlbumGenghisPortrait.jpg>.

“Follow me, endure these hardships with me and I will share the glory and deliver you a mighty nation”

He also knew his limits and what he needed to do to overcome them. Other leaders, such as Napoleon and Hitler had visions similar to him but fail to acknowledge their limits, which led to their downfall.  This helped him and his army towards their untied goal.


For Reference:

Adams, Tony. "21 Leadership Lessons from Genghis Khan (Part 1)." Tony Adams Project Manager. N.p., 16 Sept. 2012. Web. 20 Sept. 2013. <http://www.tonyadamspm.com/2012/09/21-leadership-lessons-from-genghis-khan-1/>.

What is Autocratic, Democratic, Bureaucratic and Laissez-Faire?

Autocratic leadership involves the direct use of instructions given to carry out specific jobs. Autocratic leadership has no input from subordinates and only the leader can make the decisions. They order others and give them specific tasks. Autocratic leadership does not promote the use of independence and creativity to solve problems but rather with instructions that have been set and must be followed. The advantages of this form of leadership includes the assurance of the job being done as you want it and that any new or sluggish workers can do the job efficiently. The downsides of using this form of leadership include the higher risk of worker turnover due to the feel of being under dictatorship. It also includes the lack of contribution given by some workers making them feel worse about being in the organization.

Autocratic Leadership is all about control
N.d. Photograph. Autocratic Leader with a Remote Control. Leadership-Toolbox.com, 2008. Web. 15 Sept. 2013. <http://www.leadership-toolbox.com/images/AutocratwithRemoteSM.jpg>.

Democratic leadership uses worker’s ideas and opinions to make a decision. Democratic leadership is often known as consultative leadership. This form of leadership promotes member engagement and promotes creativity and initiative. It has been proven to improve productivity and member satisfaction. Democratic leadership improves member loyalty and makes them feel that they really play an important role in shaping the company. Although so, democratic leadership is sometimes taken for granted and some members will start to be overconfident. Democratic leadership is also not the best way to deal with problems that arise suddenly or for any emergencies.

Democratic Leadership gives power to everyone in an organization
N.d. Photograph. Democracy in Ancient Athens. Ancient Greece for Kids. Web. 15 Sept. 2013. <http://greece.mrdonn.org/athens1.gif>.

Bureaucratic leadership is a form of leadership that stands by the rules and has a set system to work. Bureaucratic leadership is best for jobs such as construction, banking or working in power plants. This form of leadership ensures a high level or safety and accuracy to get the job done. Bureaucratic leadership improves the level of efficiency and management in some organizations as well. The downside of this form of leadership is that it limits possibilities and flexibility. If any single member were to break the set of rules, there is also a high chance of a major error.

Bureaucratic Leadership needs to follow the rules and requires approval from superiors
N.d. Photograph. UFS, Inc., 2006. Web. 15 Sept. 2013. <http://young-leaders-academy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/bureaucracy.jpg>.

Laissez-Faire leadership is almost completely based on independence. In French, ‘Laissez Faire’ is defined as ‘Let Him/Them Do’. The leader basically just tells what is the main task and the members have to independently plan and complete the task. This task requires experienced or professional members and can be good in the sense that it increases creativity and problem-solving skills among the members. The leader would only serve by providing materials and minimal help, the members do everything else. This form is beneficial only if members are experienced and motivated to work by themselves. This form of leadership is not very useful among new workers that do not know the basics yet and among lazy or sluggish workers that do not want to work independently and tend to lose track of the task very easily.

Laissez-Faire Leadership gives the member independence to complete a project with minimal supervision
N.d. Photograph. The Faux-poet. Web. 15 Sept. 2013. <http://www.e-manonline.com/images/entry/laissezfaire.jpg>.

For Reference:

Autocratic Leadership:

Cherry, Kendra. "What Is Autocratic Leadership?" About.com Psychology. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2013. <http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/f/autocratic-leadership.htm>.

"Leadership Styles: Autocratic Leadership." Leadership Styles: Autocratic Leadership. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2013. <http://www.leadership-toolbox.com/autocratic-leadership.html>.

Democratic Leadership:

Cherry, Kendra. "What Is Democratic Leadership?" About.com Psychology. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2013. <http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/f/democratic-leadership.htm>.

"Leadership Styles: Democratic Leadership Style." The Democratic Leadership Style. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2013. <http://www.leadership-toolbox.com/democratic-leadership-style.html>.

Bureaucratic Leadership:
"Bureaucratic Leadership." Leadership Lime. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2013. <http://www.leadershiplime.com/Bureaucratic-Leadership.html>.

Fleming, Grace. "Student Leadership Styles." About.com Homework / Study Tips. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2013. <http://homeworktips.about.com/od/studymethods/ss/leadership_3.htm>.

Laissez-Faire Leadership:

Cherry, Kendra. "What Is Laissez-Faire Leadership?" About.com Psychology. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2013. <http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/f/laissez-faire-leadership.htm>.

"Laissez-Faire - Leadership Styles." Laissez-Faire - Leadership Styles. Ed. Kaitlyn Rytwinski. N.p., 20 Mar. 2012. Web. 15 Sept. 2013. <https://sites.google.com/site/leadershipstylesinteams/leadership-style>.

What is leadership?

Leadership is defined as the skill of leading, or directing a group of people or an organization.  There are many kinds of leadership, and each of these types have their own advantages and disadvantages.  The four main styles of leadership that will be discussed in this blog will be Autocratic, Democratic, Laissez-Faire and Bureaucratic Leadership.

Leadership has many ways of influence on the subordinates in any organization including a rise or drop in motivation, productivity and most importantly coordination.  Different organizations require different kinds of leadership so that the business will run smoothly.  For example, a very large business may require a more autocratic approach to ensure proper organization.

A good leader should know how and why they motivate their workers.  This means that they must have a reason to direct workers and must know the vision of a company, for example, to raise awareness of the capabilities of recyclable materials.  A good leader should also know what is best for the company, not just for him/herself.  He/she then can know how to delegate tasks efficiently and improve the profitability of the organization.  Even if you can't please everyone, a good leader will know what is the proper way to do things and why it must be done so, not because he/she chooses to by authority, but by choice and/or understanding of a problem.

For Reference:

"What Is “Leadership” and What Makes a Good Leader?" Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute. N.p., 19 Apr. 2013. Web. 08 Sept. 2013. <http://www.siyli.org/what-is-leadership-what-makes-good-leader/>.

Kruse, Kevin. "What Is Leadership?" Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 09 Apr. 2013. Web. 08 Sept. 2013. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2013/04/09/what-is-leadership/2/>.