This is the winner of the 2021 FT Schools/World Today competition asking 『What makes a good leader? It was written by Thomas Cowan of Tiffin School, Kingston upon Thames in the UK
The German sociologist Max Weber proposed that the great leaders of the past could be split into two groups: the 『magicians』 and the 『warlords』. They established themselves through different methods. The magicians claimed that they were enlightened and used their individual charisma to create a community of loyal followers. The warlords were more direct, using aggression and military skill to overcome their competition, particularly where there was no pre-existing authority. These archetypes are not confined to history. Naturally, religious leaders are magicians. They are individuals who, through the power of their words and the beliefs they represent, gain the devotion of billions. But in the western world, religion is on the decline. People, especially the young, are increasingly less dependent on organised faith for their morals and world view. Instead, they look to inspiring leaders in a range of industries, and these idols are the new magicians. Steve Jobs is a prime example of a magician. He wasn』t an engineer or a programmer; at Apple, that was Steve Wozniak. But the reason that Wozniak was only ever 『the other Steve』 was that Apple, the company, was itself more important than its products, and Steve Jobs was Apple. He became world-renowned because of his exciting rhetoric and compelling self-presentation.
In the memorial on Apple』s website, people across the world describe the man as a visionary, a genius and a hero. They recount how Jobs changed their lives and lament the loss of an 『irreplaceable』 leader. Within Apple, however, some saw him as a bully. Jobs never refuted this, stating that his job was 『not to be easy on people』. Bully or not, his demand for ingenuity was the key factor in Apple』s groundbreaking innovation; something that seems to have waned after Jobs』 passing. Conversely, Mark Zuckerberg could be typified as a warlord. The Facebook CEO』s ascendancy to international influence started with his coding abilities, and his company has since maintained its early dominance over the burgeoning social media market with the strategic purchases of Instagram and Snapchat.
Zuckerberg』s Senate appearance to defend his platform』s content moderation demonstrates how he has led Facebook to a place where it grants him unprecedented sway over public opinion and politics. Moral or not, Zuckerberg』s rise has been meteoric. Jobs and Zuckerberg are undeniably 『good』 leaders, their massively valuable companies each becoming entrenched in popular culture. But on the battlefield of iconic figureheads, Jobs wins out. Whilst Zuckerberg is undeniably intelligent, he lacks a degree of charisma and personality. His public perception is neutral at best.
Jobs was, and remains, an inspiration to many; each of his product launches gave the impression of a glimpse into his crystal ball. Jobs will live on because he had the most precious leadership ability of all: the ability to inspire. The warlord does not need charisma; the magician deals in it. In the wake of Covid-19 and the resulting economic turmoil, we might see people turning to magicians more than ever.