Leadership characteristics

by | Feb 18, 2025 | Leadership

consider a Leader you admire. What is their role and major responsibilities? What leadership characteristics do they exhibit?

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Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Let’s consider Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader, and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa. 1  

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Role and Major Responsibilities:

  • Unifying a divided nation: Mandela’s primary role was to lead South Africa’s transition from apartheid to a multiracial democracy. This involved dismantling discriminatory laws and institutions, fostering reconciliation between different racial groups, and building a sense of national unity.
  • Promoting peace and justice: Mandela was committed to achieving social justice and equality for all South Africans. He worked to address the legacy of apartheid, promote human rights, and ensure that all citizens had equal opportunities.
  • Building a strong and democratic state: Mandela played a key role in establishing democratic institutions in South Africa, including a new constitution, electoral system, and independent judiciary. He also focused on economic development and social progress to improve the lives of all South Africans.

Let’s consider Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid revolutionary, political leader, and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa. 1  

1. greekreporter.com
greekreporter.com

Role and Major Responsibilities:

  • Unifying a divided nation: Mandela’s primary role was to lead South Africa’s transition from apartheid to a multiracial democracy. This involved dismantling discriminatory laws and institutions, fostering reconciliation between different racial groups, and building a sense of national unity.
  • Promoting peace and justice: Mandela was committed to achieving social justice and equality for all South Africans. He worked to address the legacy of apartheid, promote human rights, and ensure that all citizens had equal opportunities.
  • Building a strong and democratic state: Mandela played a key role in establishing democratic institutions in South Africa, including a new constitution, electoral system, and independent judiciary. He also focused on economic development and social progress to improve the lives of all South Africans.

Leadership Characteristics:

  • Visionary leadership: Mandela had a clear vision for a democratic and inclusive South Africa. He communicated this vision effectively to his followers and inspired them to work towards it.
  • Courage and resilience: Mandela demonstrated extraordinary courage in the face of oppression and injustice. He spent 27 years in prison for his beliefs, but he never gave up on his dream of a free and equal South Africa.
  • Empathy and compassion: Mandela had a deep understanding of the suffering caused by apartheid. He showed compassion towards his fellow South Africans, even those who had oppressed him.
  • Humility and forgiveness: Mandela was a humble leader who always put the needs of his people first. He also showed remarkable forgiveness towards his former oppressors, believing that reconciliation was essential for building a united nation.
  • Integrity and moral authority: Mandela was widely respected for his integrity and moral leadership. He was a man of principle who always acted in accordance with his values.

In conclusion, Nelson Mandela was an exceptional leader who played a pivotal role in the transformation of South Africa. His leadership was characterized by vision, courage, empathy, humility, and integrity. He is remembered as a symbol of hope, justice, and reconciliation, and his legacy continues to inspire people around the world.

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