Final answer:
The primary goal of leadership extends beyond promoting a personal agenda, often encompassing the guidance and influence of group members toward shared objectives. Leadership styles, such as laissez-faire or task-oriented approaches, dictate how leaders manage group dynamics and achieve goals. The effectiveness of leadership involves a complex interplay between a leader's personal qualities, the collective vision, and organizational objectives.
Step-by-step explanation:
The goal of leadership is not solely to influence a group of people to work toward the accomplishment of a personal agenda. While some leadership theories, such as the ones implying that an organization is ruled by a few elites, may suggest that leaders have personal agendas, the main goal of leadership varies significantly depending on the leadership style and philosophy. For example, a laissez-faire leader would take a hands-off approach, allowing group members to make their own decisions, while a leader focused on the tasks ahead may employ different strategies to achieve organizational goals. The idea that an organization has a single person with a personal agenda at its center is often a simplification and doesn't necessarily reflect the complex dynamics within a group. Leadership also has to do with influencing and directing the behavior of group members towards achieving collective or organizational goals rather than just personal ones.
Regarding leadership in history, the Great Man theory is one interpretation that assumes history can be viewed primarily through the lives and choices of leaders. However, this view has been challenged by other perspectives that consider broader social factors. In politics, the individualistic approach suggested by Elazar argues that politics serve to advance individual interests, yet this is not the universal purpose of leadership or governance. Effective leaders must understand group dynamics, adopt a suitable leadership style, and may use charisma and influence to promote a vision that aligns with their group or organization's objectives.
Charisma may play a role in leadership effectiveness, creating a connection between leader and followers, but it is a complex interplay with the vision or message the leader is conveying. In some instances, leaders may become emblematic of a broader message or cause. Thus, the efficacy of leadership can be seen as both a product and a driver of group dynamics and organizational success.