Preamble
At 22 he had conquered more than any mortal before him! History boasts of many great men, but few could match the aura and mythical stature of Alexander the Great. What made him such a powerful personality, and what can we learn from his life - to help us in Leadership ?
A quick bio
Alexander III of Macedon (20/21 July 356 – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great , a state in the north eastern region of Greece, and by the age of thirty was the creator of one of the largest empires in ancient history, stretching from the Ionian sea to the Himalaya. He was undefeated in battle and is considered one of the most successful commanders of all time.[1] Born in Pella in 356 BC, Alexander was tutored by the famed philosopher Aristotle. In 336 BC he succeeded his father Philip II of Macedon to the throne after Philip was assassinated. Philip had brought most of the city-states of mainland Greece under Macedonian hegemony, using both military and diplomatic means.
Upon Philip's death, Alexander inherited a strong kingdom and an experienced army. He succeeded in being awarded the generalship of Greece and, with his authority firmly established, launched the military plans for expansion left by his father. In 334 BC he invaded Persian-ruled Asia Minor and began a series of campaigns lasting ten years. Alexander broke the power of Persia in a series of decisive battles, most notably the battles of Issus and Gaugamela. Subsequently he overthrew the Persian king Darius III and conquered the entirety of the Persian Empire.i[›] The Macedonian Empire now stretched from the Adriatic sea to the Indus River.
Following his desire to reach the "ends of the world and the Great Outer Sea", he invaded India in 326 BC, but was eventually forced to turn back by the near-mutiny of his troops. Alexander died in Babylon in 323 BC, without realizing a series of planned campaigns that would have begun with an invasion of Arabia. In the years following Alexander's death a series of civil wars tore his empire apart which resulted in the formation of a number of states ruled by the Diadochi – Alexander's surviving generals.
(copied from Wikipedia - click here to read more)
Alexanders Life and Time
Click in the following links to view videos on Alexanders Life and Times
- The true story of Alexander the Great
- In the footsteps of Alexander the Great (BBC documentary)
- Alexander the Great - a documentary
Leadership is an ART
There is no arguing that Leadership is an art - and not an exact science. Understanding Alexander’s methods and tactics allow us to gain insights, enabling us to broaden our horizons. But... simply applying them without understanding them, and taking it out of context can be disastrous. One has to understand that the environment in which we live is very different to that of Alexander - but the PRINCIPLES can still be applied.
Alexander was a soldier first, a general second and finally a king. He always led from the front, and never asked his soldiers to do anything he would not demand from himself. This probably is the most endearing characteristic of the person. His valor was unsurpassed, his absolute faith in himself never faltered - and men naturally flocked by his side. In both battles against Darius the third (the emperor of Persia) the decisive factor was that Alexander charged, and Darius buckled and ran. When it mattered most, Alexander was there, and his arch rival was not. There really is no substitute for a leader than to lead by example !
Personal charisma
No matter what we say, we have to admit that personal charisma matters. Charisma alone does not make a leader, but charisma plays a pivotal role in creating the right image about a leader others willingly follow. Alexander had an aura about him. From his childhood he demonstrated a great thirst for battle - and greatness. He did NOT want to simply become king - he wanted more - much more ! His charisma was also compounded by the valor he demonstrated in the battle field. Having a good personality helps in the development of the aura that surrounds great leaders
Ability to unify under a common Vision that inspires
Alexander had a Vision that inspired all of Greece - not only the Macedonians. Rallying everyone around a common enemy helped Alexander unify warring factions, and bring together a group of men who were willing to die for the cause. Not only did Alexander have the Vision, but he ardently believed in it - and this is infectious in a leader. Having supreme faith is essential - irrespective of what the outcome. People naturally flock towards a leader who seems so absolute in his/her resolutions.
Re crafting problems
Impossible is nothing is something that Alexander proved by example. The sacking of Tyre which had hitherto been impregnable (the Persians could not take the island even after a 13 year old siege !) was a great example for this ! Tyre was essential to Alexanders plans - and rather than looking at the problem in the same way, Alexander re crafted it - and made a causeway to the island - thereby making it a ‘peninsula’ allowing his siege engines to take the walls. Being able to find solutions by re crafting problems was an essential skill Alexander possessed.
Click here to see a documentary on the battle of Tyre
Use of symbolism
Alexander understood the importance of using symbols. On many occasions he used symbolism to get poignant messages across - and to create a certain aura about him. Cutting the Gordian Knot was a prime example of this. The Gordian Knot was supposedly a knot that could never be undone - and by undoing it (or as is believed by many, cut) Alexander created unprecedented hype - that he was certainly above normal mortals - and as legend had it WILL become the ruler of Asia
Click here for a small clip on the Gordian Knot
Making Allies
Alexander understood that alliances are important. Even though he was a brilliant military strategist he understood only too well that war was only one of the tools to use towards achieving his objective of world dominance. Ensuring he had the right allies - and ensuring the allies remained allies was something he did with great diligence and often cunning. Being able to understand the psyche of people gave him a definitive edge - and he ensured his alliances were solidified. Marrying into the Royal family of Persia, and also sparing Porus’ life were great examples of Alexanders acumen as a politician as well.
Decisive actions
As a Leader, one is expected to take decisive action (whether or no it maybe right at all times.) Being decisive gives a leader credibility, and a lot of confidence to the followers. Alexander was extremely decisive - both in battle and in his handling of people in general. Of course, there were many instances he made wrong judgment calls, but the fact that he was decisive was appreciated by his team. His decisive action agains the revolt of Thebes ensured that there were no more mutiny in Greece - and his decisive action against cities that did not yield ensured easy victories. Alexander amply demonstrated the importance of decisive action.
A note on the ability to come up with a winning strategy
Alexander was a master tactician. The only reason that he succeeded in his audacious plans - with a far outnumbered army is the fact that he had the uncanny ability to out maneuver his enemies - time and again. The ability to come up with superior strategies is a hall mark of a great leader, and just like Alexander, business leaders of today need to understand that superior power and market shares mean nothing in the face of a great strategy meticulously executed !
What Alexander proved time and again is that he understood his strengths and weaknesses, and was able to strike when the first opportunity presented itself. His famous battles are a great example to understand how a well crafted strategy faultlessly executed can overcome any barrier, and move towards the achievement of the objective set.
The Battle of Issus
The battle of Issues saw Alexander outnumbered nearly six to one. This battles is possibly one of the most pivotal in history - and this, and Guagemela ensured that Darius was defeated summarily, and with it, the entirety of Persia open to Alexander.
Click here for a documentary on the Battle of Issus
Battle of Gaugamela
The battle of Guagemela sealed the fate of the Persian Empire. Darius was never able to regain control, nor raise another army. Darius outnumbered Alexander 5 to 1, and the site was also perfect for Darius to deploy his much larger army. He was also equipped with chariots which could slice through horses and men. But, even with superior manpower and terrain well suited for his army, Darius fell prey to much better morale, personal bravado of Alexander - and more importantly, Alexander’s ability to deploy a much more cohesive strategy that was faultlessly executed.
Click here for a documentary on the Guagemela battle
Defeating Porus
The battle of Hydeaspes pitted Porus of India against Alexander. Once again, Alexander was hugely outnumbered, and worse still, he encountered war elephants for the first time. Porus was certainly an accomplished King in his own right, but once again, Alexander was able to out maneuver Porus, and win a decisive battle.
Click here for a documentary on the battle at the River Hydaspes
Even ‘Great’ Leaders make mistakes
Alexander was no saint - nor was he perfect. He is allegedly have never drunk water - and drank wine instead - and as such, had been intoxicated almost all his life ! In a drunken stupa, cajoled by a courtesan, Alexander ordered the Palaces of Persia burnt - something he is supposedly have regretted once he sobered up. Alexander’s death marked the end of the empire - once again, a sign of not have a successor in place, which begs the question of his more long term orientation as a leader.
Alexander was also brutal - and committed many atrocities - and were he alive today, we would have certainly considered him being sent to the Hague ! As such, to paint Alexander in the same light as a Mahatma Gandhi or a Nelson Mandela in looking at Leadership is obviously wrong - but one has to give credence to the fact that Alexander influenced much of what we know of the world today, and his colonization of the East lay the foundation to Western thought and civilization taking root.
As such, when we are looking for inspiration in Alexander the Great, we need to ensure we put things in context, and understand that he made many mistakes - but was never the less, undefeated in war - demonstrating his uncanny ability to motivate his men, demand their love and loyalty and inspire them towards a Vision for which they gladly gave their lives. His leadership qualities enabled the world’s biggest empire to date - and probably one of the most romanticized !
Final thoughts
Alexander becomes a great source of insight to why and how leadership makes a difference> His life and legacy enables us to understand how Leaders influence others - and what key attributes enables such devotion and loyalty in a team.
Credits and acknowledgements
This article was inspired by a book by Lance Kirk (PhD) titled Alexander the Great - Leadership Lessons from the man who created an Empire (JAICO Publications ISBN 978-81-8495-043-4)
The key lessons from the book have been summarized, but we have also tried to bring in other references from the many History Channel videos which offers great insights to the campaigns and the life of Alexander the Great.
We have offered as many links as possible to offer more illustrations to what we have summarized in the article, as we thought it is best to be able to understand the concepts better.
Click here to buy Dr. Kirk’s book
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