What Kind of Leader are You, According to Plato?

Brief 

Greek philosopher Plato outlined seven leadership styles, including doctors who can diagnose and heal problems, artists who look at the world in new ways and weavers who can blend diverse ideas and people. Most leaders are a combination of a few styles, exhibiting different strengths depending on the situation.

Insight

hether we call someone a teacher, a manager, a coach or a parent, we often characterize others by titles that indicate their roles as leaders. But have you ever wondered what type of leader you are? An ancient Greek philosopher may help you shed some light on that.

In Darden Professor Ed Freeman’s recent book with Oxford Professor Dominic Scott, Models of Leadership in Plato and Beyond, the two professors explore Plato’s ideas on leadership and how his ideas can be applied to modern business leadership principles.

Plato didn’t try to develop a single definition for leadership, nor which specific leadership qualities may work in all circumstances. Instead, he noticed different features or principles of leadership and highlighted them through intuitive metaphors that provide us with easy-to-imagine “models of leadership.” And even though Plato was writing over two thousand years ago, many of these models will still resonate with us today.

WHAT MODEL OF LEADERSHIP FITS YOU BEST?

THE DOCTOR

The Doctor is someone who can expertly diagnose sources of disorder or conflict within a group, propose unifying solutions and maintain social equilibrium. Doctors are credible, selfless and aim to promote the well-being of their followers by pushing them to pursue realistic long-term goals, rather than short-lived ones.

This leader faces the task of persuading followers to follow a prescribed course of action so as to “cure” systemic problems. Example: Indra Nooyi, former PepsiCo CEO, who reoriented the company to promote its success in the long term.