Alexander the Great's application of modern leadership concepts

Alexander the Great was a leader of many accomplishments. While his exploits made an enormous impact on history in the ancient world, a summary analysis of them can actually reveal modern concepts that today’s scholars refer to as strategic thinking, operational design, wicked problems, ethical leadership, responsibility and accountability, and mission command. Alexander the Great did not know these concepts by these names; nonetheless, he did know these concepts and their importance in his own way and demonstrated their relevance to his leadership throughout his short tenure as a king. This paper will show how, as a king and leader, Alexander the Great developed a vision, led a team, set the example, focused on innovation and enhanced identification. Alexander the Great: Leadership Concepts Applied in Today’s World Alexander was just 20 years old when he took the throne after the death of his father, King Philip of Macedonia. In the wake of the king’s death, the subjects began to rumble and resist the rule of new, young king. A smattering of rebellions occurred, and Alexander was tasked with overcoming resistance to his reign right out of the gate. In order to show that he was the legitimate ruler, he took 100,000 men with him into Persia and though he was outnumbered his leadership and tactical brilliance enabled him to win the day. He pushed as far east as India whereupon his men had had enough and wanted to return to their families. Accepting their feedback like a good leader who appreciates what he hears from his followers, Alexander acquiesced and began the long trek back to his kingdom—only to die suddenly in Babylon. Upon his death, however, his kingdom quickly devolved into chaos as there was no one in place to rule with the same legitimacy, confidence or authority that he had displayed.
Thus, while Alexander both displays great leadership characteristics there is at least one lesson that can be learned from his only weakness: his failure to groom and have a successor in place should the unexpected happen. A good leader helps those around him reach their potential. A great leader creates an environment in which self-actualization occurs for everyone and the great leader can disappear into the background without the environment, organization or state devolving into chaos. Alexander did lead well, using many of the same concepts promoted by leaders and scholars today, but he did fail in this one respect of creating an environment of self-actualized followers.
Nonetheless, his many examples of successful leadership and the application of leadership concepts well-known today make him a fit subject for study. For instance, Alexander demonstrated strategic thinking throughout his rule. Strategic thinking has been defined as the plan of action to gain competitive advantage.[footnoteRef:2] Others have defined it as the ability to “gather information from external and internal sources, make sense of it, and provide interpretations to subordinate echelons.”[footnoteRef:3] Ultimately, however, a strategic thinker is one who has a conceptual understanding of the complex arrangement and intersection of variables within an environment.[footnoteRef:4] Alexander the Great had the ability to think strategically—undoubtedly because he was tutored by one of the greatest educators of the classical world, Aristotle—but having an ability and applying an ability are two different things. Alexander applied strategic thinking all throughout his rule—whether it was in conquering Persia or whether it was in keeping his own men and subjects from rebelling and overcoming resistance through generosity of spirit, integrity, transparency and fairness. In his first major battle, the Battle of Granicus, Alexander showed strategic thinking by reading the layout of the enemy forces. He exploited the holes in the enemy’s lines through bold and decisive attacks. He killed Mithridates, the Persian commander before the eyes of all his men, thus turning them all into believers of his power—and thus when the Persians came to strike back, Alexander’s men sprang into action to defend him.[footnoteRef:5] In the heat of battle, Alexander was at the front of the lines, demonstrating full accountability and responsibility for his actions: if he was going to wage war, he wanted to lead his men into battle and shoulder the burden out in front—not behind in the bowels of safety. [2: James William Browning, Leading at the Strategic Level in an Uncertain World. Dwight D. Eisenhower (School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, 2013), 36.] [3: James William Browning, Leading at the Strategic Level in an Uncertain World. Dwight D. Eisenhower (School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, 2013), 64.] [4: James William Browning, Leading at the Strategic Level in an Uncertain World. Dwight D. Eisenhower (School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, 2013), 65.] [5: Christopher Berg, “Alexander the Great: Case Study in Martial Leadership,” Ancient History, https://www.ancient.eu/article/854/alexander-the-great-a-case-study-in-martial-leader/] Alexander the Great's Understanding of Operational Design Alexander had a keen sense of operational design, as well: he understood how to assess the problem, the environment and the solution, which are the essential elements of operational design. But as Ryan points out, the key to operational design is having the capacity for operational art, which “involves the synthesis of a complex purposeful whole composed of distributed and dynamic components”—i.e., the art needed to design a system.[footnoteRef:6] This approach is needed in order to solve the type of “wicked problems” that can overrun environments today. [6: Alex J. Ryan, "Applications of complex systems to operational design." In Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Complex Systems (2011), 1255.]

Alexander himself was faced with various “wicked problems,” which typically involve “many stakeholders with different values and priorities,” have complexly tangled roots, and can appear to be unprecedented—meaning to solve them one must create an entirely new solution.[footnoteRef:7] Alexander conquered various territories from Persia to India and ruled over vastly different groups of people—groups with their own cultures, personalities, systems of government, ideals, values and conflicts. He did not impress upon them all his own way of operating but rather permitted them some leeway—flexibility to maneuver on their own so long as they kept in mind the endgame that he was seeking for them all—allegiance, loyalty, and submission. By using the system of virtue ethics taught by his mentor Aristotle, Alexander showed that he was caring and solicitous of the needs of others—not an insensible ruler who sought only to subjugate and rule through fear. He ruled through compassion and understanding, respect and appreciation. [7: James William Browning, Leading at the Strategic Level in an Uncertain World. Dwight D. Eisenhower (School for National Security and Resource Strategy, National Defense University, 2013), xi.]