GREAT MAN THEORY

The Great Man Theory (GMT) centers on two main assumptions.

The first is that great leaders are born possessing certain traits that enable them to rise and lead.

Second, great leaders can arise when the need for them is great. It is to say that great leaders are born with the attributes necessary to come to roles of power (Carlyle).

The GMT was one of the first systematic attempts to understand what differentiated leaders from followers in the 20th century (Northouse).

Early studies revolved around determining the traits that defined leaders of the past to discover a pattern that would allow essentially prediction of future leaders.

The GMT sets the foundation for my portfolio because as the oldest child in my family, assisting my parents through years of English to Spanish translation of financial, medical and school documents, I felt I possessed traits to become a leader.