Kyle Hallman

5/1/16
My Renaissance
Throughout this course, weve been introduced to many concepts and ideas based on
various excerpts from some of the most influential and significant minds in history. The
information presented in these texts are extremely prevalent to any businessperson, enough so to
be thought of as a renaissance. Among the different excerpts, I found that I tended to take more
of a liking to those related to leadership. Whether that be examples of leadership, breakdowns of
what makes a leader, or how to be an effective leader.
One excerpt that heavily influenced me was Druckers Not Enough Generals Were
Killed. Drucker describes his experiences with leaders, taking note of their personalities,
characteristics, habits, behaviors, etc. He found that between all the effective leaders that he
observed, there was a lot of variation between them. When it comes to leadership, there does not
seem to be any one style. There are multiple methods to being an effective leader, and the only
commonality between them are a few points of knowledge. All the effective leaders that Drucker
analyzed, basically understood the essence of a leader; what leaders are, what they do, and what
it means to be a leader. He then follows up by saying that one of the most vital aspects of leading
is doing. As someone who likes to focus on leadership, this influenced me a lot. I cant say that
any of the concepts mentioned in this piece were new to me, but having someone who is
extremely knowledgeable on the topic lay out the shared points of effective leaders was very
persuading. I started to cast off some of my other perceptions of what a leader should be and do,
and adopted a more minimal interpretation of leadership that revolves around the points

mentioned by Drucker. I learned that you dont need to conform to any particular style of
leadership, there is more to it. Knowing that a leader can take any number of forms is helpful to
me as an aspiring leader.
Another reading that I consider to be a large part of my renaissance is Rockefellers The
Personal Relation in Industry. Rockefeller mainly addresses the issue regarding the relationship
between labor and capital. The main point he offers is cooperation between labor and capital. He
also discusses the four parties in relation to industry and how industry should act regarding these
different groups. He among the various points he proposes, the most significant of them I found
was that labor and capital have common interests, and should work together accordingly. What I
particularly liked about this reading was that Rockefellers leadership style is seen through his
opinions and thoughts. It is a style that one might find surprising for an industrialist, but it
undoubtedly worked. This idea relates to Druckers comments on leadership as well. The idea
that there is no one leadership style, that there is a lot of leeway when leading. His view of how a
leader should cooperate and ensure the well-being of his follows also has much in common with
Druckers points. If an effective leader is one who has followers, than what better way to
accomplish that goal than by being someone who people want to follow. Seeing that there are
real examples of how different leadership styles can pay off played a big part in this renaissance.
Carnegies An Employers View of the Labor Question was also a large part of my
renaissance for many of the reasons for the other two. Carnegie puts forth his opinion of how the
conflict between labor and capital should be solved. One of the more important solutions he sets
forth is that compensation for workers be based on a sliding scale proportionate to a companys
profits. Additionally, communication and arbitration were large points mentioned. Carnegie
answered the labor problem in a slightly different way than Rockefeller, but the idea that

cooperation between the two parties is shared between them. Leadership values are seen in this
just as much as the other two excerpts. Carnegie, at one point, mentions that conflict would be
greatly reduced with employers and the employed working side by side. This relates to the point
of leaders being doers. Sometimes that means doing the same things that employees do,
regardless of how dirty the work. Morale-wise, this is vital. Leaders are able to build respect and
followers become more motivated, which then create followers who do their jobs effectively.
The last excerpt that was a part of my renaissance was Methods of Influence and
Control by Douglas McGregor. McGregor writes about the differences between authority and
control in this reading, explaining that not all control is authority. Its possible to have control
and influence over someone without having authority over that person. This reading is great for
managers, so they are fully aware of the different methods of control. This helps ensure that
people use the most effective means of influencing another person. In regards to leadership, this
is pivotal. You cannot just apply a blanket method of control. There are different tools for the job
and getting people to do what you need to do is an important part of leading. Sometimes it takes
more than using authority as a leader to make followers act. Understanding how control and
influence works is a concept that is extremely helpful for those in leadership positions.
Ultimately, my renaissance revolved mostly around leadership. While there were a lot of
concepts regarding the moral and ethical principles and functions of business, the leadership
aspects were what most appealed to me. Leadership seems the most easily influenced and
controllable factor. While going into this class, I wasnt really sure what made an effective
leader, I feel much more confident in my understanding. Likewise, I dont feel as limited in my
method of leadership. I know that I can be freer in my execution. Seeing different examples of

effective leadership was also really helpful. I wouldnt call Carnegie and Rockefeller typical
leaders, so knowing what they accomplished and how they did it was inspiring.