РефератыИностранный языкSiSir Winston Churchill A Study In Effective

Sir Winston Churchill A Study In Effective

Sir Winston Churchill: A Study In Effective Leadership Essay, Research Paper


Sir Winston Churchill:


A Study in Effective Leadership


Introduction


Few leaders stand out in the history of the twentieth century more than Sir Winston


Churchill. Remembered mainly as Great Britain’s prime minister who led the first


successful stand against Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany, he showed the world the


importance of democracy and liberty by leading the battle against fascism and


dictatorship. Churchill appeared headed for greatness even at his birth in 1874; his


grandfather was the first Duke of Marlborough and his parents were Lord Randolph


Churchill and Jennie Jerome, the American daughter of the New York Times proprietor.


The first step towards being a great leader was not to rely on his family’s achievements,


but to forge his own path to success. “He yearned to follow his father into politics”


(Wheeler-Bennett, 1968), but when his father died in 1895, that path was closed due to


the lack of funding. His poor academic performance prevented entry into most profitable


careers, so a young Churchill exercised his last option and joined the British Royal Army.


From this point, Churchill built an impressive career in the British government in from


the military, in Parliament, as Prime Minister, and finally as a politician determined to


make the world aware of the threat of Communist conquest. Throughout his long and


illustrious career, Winston Churchill stood out by demonstrating strong values,


determination, and cooperation, qualities absolutely necessary in effective leadership.


Sacrificing for Values


Many politicians get caught up in their personal quest for greatness and forget about


those they represent. Standing up for core values, though often one of the most difficult


tasks in politics, is the reason Winston Churchill is still admired. His first accomplish-


ment in Parliament was seeking to “align the Conservative Party with property owners


with the interests of the working man” (James, 1970). Soon, he was assigned to social


policies, where he earned his reputation as a social reformer, setting up unemployment


pay, as well as a job placement service. Later, after a temporary resignation in 1916, he


fought in the trenches in the World War. In modern history, few men of Churchill’s


importance have risked their lives on the battlefield. But his values were truly tested when


England stood actionless while Adolf Hitler slowly threatened the freedom of Europe.


Great Britain, worried about economic recovery from the depression, chose to appease


Hitler rather than arm the military in case of a German strike. Churchill, ever the


opponent of tyranny, warned repeatedly of Hitler’s rise in power. Germany finally


fulfilled Churchill’s prophecy by invading Poland on September 1, 1939.


When Churchill replaced Neville Chamberlain as Prime Minister in 1940 he was


immediately faced with two choices; continue the war, therefore pushing Britain further


into debt, as well as inflicting thousands of English casualties, or attempt to negotiate


with Hitler. Negotiation may have saved thousands of British soldiers, but millions would


have paid the price in Hitler’s pursuit of a “purified” Europe. Ultimately, Churchill not


only backed the continued war effort, but through many rousing public addresses, gained


needed support. Towards the end of his life Churchill once again championed against


totalitarianism, this time against a Soviet “iron curtain” swallowing eastern European


countries. His acts and speeches challenged a dangerous post-war China and Soviet


Union, countries not long before considered Great Britain’s allies. Though unpopular, this


served as a final demonstration of Churchill’s eternal willingness to sacrifice popularity


in the pursuit of his beliefs.


Setbacks and Determination


In no way was Winston Churchill perfect. Failure plagued his political career from the


beginning, but Churchill separated himself from lesser leaders by never quitting. Often a


mistake in judgment led to temporary dormancy, but after he regained his peers’ trust, he


returned a stronger man. Churchill’s first significant political setback came with the


failure of his Dardanelles campaign during the first World War. “He overestimated


knowledge and capacities; once enamored by an idea and a plan, his total concentration


on it and devotion hindered him” (James, 1970). The campaign discredited Churchill, but


as mentioned before, he joined the trench fighting to earn back the respect of his peers


and soon rejoined the House of Commons. In a span of eight years, 1924 through 1932,


Churchill was dismissed from the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party, and the newly


formed Labor Party would have nothing to do with him. Discouraged but confident,


Church

ill spent time with his writing and his family, while silently awaiting his country to


need his unique energy and boldness. World War II provided that opportunity.


When Churchill became Prime Minister, Germany was on the verge of European


conquest. Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France had been beaten and Great


Britain was the next logical step. But German air raids, as well as a wounded army were


not enough to make Britain surrender. Churchill was sure that the superiority of the Royal


Navy would decide the battle of Britain. Churchill himself said, “wage war until victory is


won, and never to surrender ourselves to servitude and shame, whatever the cost and


agony may be . . . Conquer we must–conquer we shall” (Bonham-Carter, 1965). Nazi


resistance was truly Britain’s finest hour. “They dug the dead and the living from the


rubble, manned their beaches, tightened their belts, and watched spellbound the


aerobatics overhead of Fighter Command’s fighting–and eventually winning–the Battle of


Britain” (Keegan, 2000). While Churchill was using his famous oratories to maintain


British hope against an invasion, his troops slowly made headway by winning key battles


against the Italian forces and eventually delaying Hitler’s victory long enough for the


United States and the Soviet Union to enter the war. Even in the bleakest of


circumstances, Churchill remained strong. His persistence was the first step to Allied


victory and made him one of the great heroes of modern history.


Cooperation through Adversity


Winston Churchill often emphasized the importance of “standing alone” in his


speeches, but he always knew team work was necessary to be truly successful. Without


unconditional cooperation within the military, the state, and the public, Britain would


have been destroyed. And without the cooperation of the Big Three– Churchill, Franklin


Roosevelt, and Joseph Stalin, Nazi Germany would never been defeated. As an effective


leader, Winston Churchill was the catalyst behind these acts, yet he never forced any


response. He allowed his writing and his voice to influence a weakened British


population, giving inspiration and direction to his people. Even as Prime Minister, he


valued their opinions and was “sensitive to the basic trends of the group” (Gardner,


1970). He chose to be a diplomat, rather than a dictator. The British rallied around their


leader with support and a sense international democracy and liberty. As the British stood


up to Hitler, Churchill gained admiration and assistance from Roosevelt and Stalin,


completing the trifecta necessary to save the free world. By working together, the Big


Three accomplished the victory Britain could not have done alone, each bringing unique


leadership skills that united different cultures to fight for a common goal of freedom.


Working with other leaders was not easy for Churchill. “Roosevelt and Stalin shared a


bond he did not” (Keegan, 2000). But a humbled Churchill showed that in crisis,


sacrifices are necessary for a united victory.


Conclusion


Churchill accomplished so much in his life by presenting himself as an effective


leader in the most crucial times. He predicted the major European shifts in power, worked


on economic reforms, and led the Allied powers to victory in World War II. Each of these


successes was met by upholding strong values, displaying determination, and possessing


a willingness to cooperate, qualities present in every truly successful leader.


Bibliography


Bonham-Carter, Violet. (1965). Winston Churchill: An Intimate Portrait. New York:


Harcourt, Brace & World.


Dallin, David J. (1945). The Big Three: The United States, Britain, Russia. New Haven:


Yale University Press.


Eade, Charles. (1946). Victory. London: Cassell and Company LTD.


Gardner, Brian. (1970). Churchill in Power. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.


Harrison, Brian. (1996). The Transformation of British Politics: 1860-1995. New York:


Oxford University Press.


James, Robert Rhodes. (1970). Churchill: A Study in Failure, 1900-1939. Cleveland: The


World Publishing Company.


Keegan, John. (May 29, 2000). His Finest Hour. U.S. & World Report, 47-52.


Rudowski, Victor Anthony. (1992). The Prince: A Historical Critique. New York:


Twayne Publishers.


Stafford, David. (1980). Britain and European Resistance, 1940-1945. Toronto:


University of Toronto Press.


Wheeler-Bennett, Sir John (Ed.). (1968). Action this Day: Working with Churchill. St.


Martin’s Press.


Wolfers, Arnold. (1963). Britain and France between Two Wars: Conflicting Strategies of


Peace Since Versailles. Hamden, Connecticut: Archon Books.


Woodward, Sir Ernest Llewellyn. (1962). British Foreign Policy in the Second World


War. London: Her Majesty’s Stationary Office.

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