Leaders are often portrayed as heroes and role models, but there is also a darker side to being a leader. Adolph Hitler was one of the greatest leaders in the last 100 years, if not the greatest leader of all time. One man had the ability to lead a country, with a population of 20 million people, against the whole world in a vision he saw fit. One man leading Germany out of economic depression after previously being through World War I was an incredible feat. This is indeed what all leaders strive to be. Hitler is one of the best models for inspiring leaders. He exhibited some of the greatest qualities of being a leader, which included the following: vision, eloquence, charisma, strong will, and tyranny.
Vision is a manner in which someone conceives something. All leaders must be goal oriented, and Hitler had one of the greatest objectives of all time. He wanted to purge this world of all the Jews, Gypsies, Homosexuals, and anyone else that didn’t fit in his definition of the perfect race. His perfect race – the Arian race – consisted of blonde-haired, blue-eyed Caucasians. Although he was not able to complete his vision, he still fought for it until the end of his life.
One of the most outstanding leadership qualities of Hitler was his eloquence. Being eloquent is to be fluent and persuasive in speech. Hitler would stir up the masses with his fervent speeches. This was one of Hitler’s greatest assets. He was able to get his audience so passionate and zealous over his goals, that they would follow him regardless of what he said. Imagine in what manner someone must talk with 20 million people in order to persuade them to eradicate a race without moral regret. When he would speak, he would sweat and get so fanatical about his speech that women would cry when he spoke.
Another important quality of Adolph Hitler was his charisma. Charisma is a quality attributed to those with an exceptional ability to secure the devotion of a large number of people. Without charisma, a leader can not function successfully. Hitler attained devotion from almost anyone that he spoke to. The German people were ready to fight the rest of the world to achieve the world that Adolph Hitler saw fit. Men were willing to give their lives to satisfy a single man.
Hitler had one of the strongest wills of any man that this world had seen. He refused to allow anyone get in his way. This is what led to World War II. He would even betray the Russians, his one time allies, for not also agreeing with his ideas. His will also helped Germany out of depression. It is said that Germany had the greatest economy it has ever had in the rule of Adolph Hitler. He did this by political maneuvering and strategic planning.
His will helped make Germany one of the most powerful countries in the world in its time. In fact, some historians devote the end of the depression due to Adolph Hitler. This is because many governments got out of their economic depression by actually fighting in World War II. This stimulated many countries and helped the world all over.
The last of his important qualities was tyranny. A tyrannical government is one in which there is a ruler with absolute power. Tyranny enhanced all of his other traits. This is because if someone did not follow him willingly, they were forced to follow him under his government. A leader demanding absolute power is not a bad thing at all times. It does not allow for confusion within a group and may also lead to more efficiency and cooperation. Hitler’s tyranny united Germany under one person and allowed it to challenge anyone that stood in their path.
Adolph Hitler may not have been a great person, but he was a great leader. Under his rule, Germany pulled out of an economic depression that was plaguing the rest of the world. Also, Germany stood up once again after a First World War and challenged the world once more. Many people might disagree about him being a great leader because he led Germany to another loss, but this was inevitable because one man cannot stand against the world and hope to win. Nevertheless, Hitler was one of the greatest leaders of all time and should be a template for future leaders.