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Beowulf's Leadership

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Leadership is rooted in trust. People are not going to listen and support a leader that they do not have faith in. No one is going to charge into battle without the inspiration of a great leader. Leaders should be able to be positive when the road ahead is dark. Beowulf was an inspirational leader. His men were willing to follow him knowing that they might not all come back home. Like Beowulf, leaders should have the support of the people and have thought out, carefully planned actions. If leaders want to be successful in their jobs, they need to have the backing of the people working below them. Beowulf had the support of his people because he was an honest leader. He was “a protector of his people, pledged to uphold/ truth and justice” …show more content…

Beowulf had to respect the strength of his enemy even though he was extremely strong. “Do not give way to pride” (McArthur). He knew that Grendel had the strength of 30 men, but in his planning he was able to overcome this. Charismatic leaders are aware of the environment around them, they have idealized visions for the future, and they are able to build trust through these actions (Loughman 158). Instead of rushing in to meet Grendel head on, Beowulf came up with a surprise attack on Grendel by pretending to be asleep. His planned actions became reality because they were able to execute their plan properly. This plan was effective because the warriors had faith that Beowulf would be able to destroy Grendel. The warriors knew that death was a possibility but they were able to overcome this fear by placing their trust in Beowulf. Not only did Beowulf plan out the assault of Grendel, he planned out how he was going to respond to the recognition he was going to receive for his victory. Beowulf refuses the offer to become the new king and he gives away the treasure that is presented to him (Garcia). This was a smart move on his part because it shows that he did not fight Grendel for the reward; he did it to protect other people. This would only make him more popular as a leader. A greater number of people are going to support a leader that is trying to better the lives of other people. Beowulf’s

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