Can dictator who developed economy be considered as having leadership - Essay Example

Can A Dictator Who Developed Economy Be Considered As Having Leadership? Details: al Affiliation:Date of SubmissionCan A Dictator Who Developed Economy Be Considered As Having Leadership? Every dictator wields absolute power over their citizen. A dictator, whether presiding over a prosperous nation or one with declining economic prospects, is considered a leader. To be sure, the virtue of being a leader is considered leadership, for holding a higher status above others in the society entails a process of social influence that culminates into a solid support, even if it is from a section of the society.

Dictatorship often derives support from the people that believe in such styles of leadership. In fact, dictators that lead their subjects into economic prosperity are much appreciated and respected. Such leaders receive abundant support from the subjects because of their leadership acumen in managing robust economic prospects, which is one of the most important goals for any country. Dictators, by all means, are considered leaders because they [dictators] get propelled to their leadership positions through the backing of followers who subscribe to their abilities to lead.

Even though the majority of the subjects [people] in countries where this type of leadership is still existent may not love it, quite a number do not shy away in expressing their support to the dictators. Hugo Chavez, for instance, has been a constitutional dictator of his country [Venezuela] since his rise to power in 1999. During his reign, Chavez’s leadership managed to secure the support of the majority of his countrymen; a fact that upheld his stay in power until his untimely demise in 2013.

The 1998 election that brought Chavez to power was won almost by a landslide; he [Chavez] received 56% of the vote, well above the vote count required to be pronounced a clear winner (Minster, 2013). An economy’s good health is one of the major goals that a country’s leadership strives to attain. Though not always, dictators sometime assists their countries to accomplish such objectives. Dictatorial leaderships are advantageous in faster decision making, and thus may be helpful in situations that demand faster responses.

Such decisions are often taken as orders and therefore get implemented to the letter and spirit without hindrance from the demanding public. Panji Soeharto, the 2nd President of the Republic Indonesia, led a dictatorial regime for a period of 31 years uninterrupted from 1967 (“Soeharto clan struggling to stay relevant,” 2012). Until his resignation in 1998, Suharto presided over an economy that was not badly off. However, soon after relinquishing the presidency, Indonesia went into a financial crisis whose effects still hurts the country’s economy.

That dictatorial leadership is a worthwhile leadership in certain aspects is not in doubt. It has its advantages over other styles of leadership. Nonetheless, the negativity that accompanies a dictator’s leadership often overshadows the benefits, thereby making gravitation towards a more open and democratic leadership forms inevitable. Adoption of democracy the world over is a clear pointer to the fact that dictatorship has lost favor among the governed [people] who prefer a more consultative approach in making the national decisions that affect them.

It is important to note that democracy frequently touted as the best form of governance does not always solve all problems of the people with the requisite urgency. More often than not, democracy presents too many ideas in solving a single problem that may be too simple to involve a lot of resources that often goes into reaching a consensus. Dictatorship appears swift and economical in decision making; a factor that sometimes helps such unpopular leaders in influencing their subjects to buy into their quest for a longer stay in power.

ReferencesMinster, C. (2013). Hugo Chavez, Venezuelas Firebrand Dictator. Retrieved from http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/presidentsofsouthamerica/p/09HChavez.htmSoeharto clan struggling to stay relevant. (2012, Dec. 10). The Jakarta Post. Retrieved from http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/12/10/soeharto-clan-struggling-stay-relevant.html