Use of Power
A thorough description of Castro 's use of power as a leader
Nahavandi defined power as the "ability of one person to influence others or exercise control over them" (143). Fidel Castro used total control over his organization and the citizens of Cuba. The Constitution of Cuba was completed in 1976, and Castro was made the leader for life. He controlled all of the media. What he said was what he wanted the Cuban people to know. He ordered that everyone was to harvest sugar cane to meet a goal of ten million tons of sugar cane to earn necessary finances for industrialization. The goal was far-fetched and unsuccessful (Platt 84). He also used his power to trade with the Soviet Union and nationalized almost all businesses of the
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Castro was a charismatic leader who gave long speeches to give his followers about the hope for a better life. He was able to gain devotion, loyalty, and trust from many of his followers. Castro did not encourage creativity, innovation, or empowerment by his followers. He did not develop personal relationships with his followers to motivate them to be great leaders because he was a dictator. He had absolute power over the nation of Cuba. He believed in violence, so many people were afraid of him, and they prefer to remain silent. Anyone who dared to stand up against him and his orders was in for a losing battle. Questioning his plans or vision would always end in conflict. Castro loved action and violence. He did not like the idea or processes and analyzing situations. As a dictator, some of his commands seemed unethical because the Cuban people were told what to do, and how to do things. Artists were not allowed to express themselves freely. They had to focus their paintings only on the revolution. According to Nahavandi, "unethical leaders focus on personal goals rather than organizational goals" (185). Castro 's dictatorship was based on his internal orientation. Some unethical behaviors listed by Nahavandi include a one-way, top-down …show more content…
He was powerful, and his agility was maintained for decades. His inability to back down from conflict displayed his boldness. Whether we agree or disagree with Castro 's leadership styles, these points can be applied to our personal and professional lives as we strive toward becoming successful leaders. It may be useful to focus on sustainability in the face of adversity because to reap success; one may have to engage in battles. Castro was fearless in battles, and we can use this point to help push us forward. We can learn to be bold as Castro and stand firm for our beliefs. Castro associated himself with like-minded individuals, and that strategy helped to maintain his leadership. We can follow that strategy as we implement guidelines for success. Castro did not entertain anyone who did not believe in him or his ideas, and we can do the