Leadership In Lord Of The Flies, By William Golding

“When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier.” (Disney, “Leadership Quotes”). The defining qualities and principles of a respectable leader vary in the eyes of people, and William Golding’s novel, “Lord of the Flies”, imaginatively exemplifies how such beliefs can bring about a struggle in power between those whose opinions oppose each other. In his novel, two boys named Ralph and Jack emerge as leaders, after the plane carrying their group of boys’ crashes onto a deserted island. Each of them possesses their own ideas about the most practical plan of action the group must undertake in order to lead everybody to safety, rescue and survival, and in carrying out these plans, Ralph demonstrates an admirable understanding of the boys’ needs, as exhibited in his democratic manner of election, ability to empathize with them, and general attention to the bigger picture of the situation in which they have been placed, unlike Jack who gains his authority through the fear of the boys and acts on impulse, rather than rationality. Through his characterization of Jack & Ralph as two highly contrasting individuals,

He can hold it when he's speaking.’” (Golding 36), which gives everybody a chance to voice themselves and support Ralph voluntarily. This strategy of gradually building a positive reputation prior to giving orders to the boys highlights Ralph’s ability to gain authority, whilst acknowledging that he is not superior to any of the boys. This is in comparison to Jack, who falls prey to the excitement of proving his hunting capabilities to the boys, using it as an excuse to lead the boys, which essentially serves as the cause of the chaos the island falls into. He eventually even destroys the conch, symbolizing his role as a catalyst in the loss of democracy, and thus