Leadership Practices Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership Practices - Term Paper Example Two most important aspect of cult leadership is that it fundamentally emerges from the sense of inequity and exhorts its followers towards a path of radical ideas and creed that may not necessarily be right or rational. Jim Jones and Charles Manson, both were strong cult leaders with destructive ideologies who were able to attract huge followers. Jim Jones and Jonestown James Warren Jones or Jim Jones was a religious fanatic who had founded People’s Temple with churches in San Francisco and Los Angeles. As a boy, he was hailed as a religious messiah by his mother. He was a radical in the sense that he believed in equality and promoted social integration of blacks and African American in the mainstream society. His strong belief in the social justice and his views on socialism based on communist leaning became his major plank for propagating new ideology. He established his first church in 1955 in Illinois and later shifted to California to start Peoples Temple. He was greatly influenced by faith healing services of Baptist churches and used practiced psychological and spiritual healing to gain trust and loyalty of his followers. Jim Jones exhibited leadership traits early when he was able to garner support for his social integration of blacks in the mainstream society. His charismatic personality and strong religious leanings were strong enabling factors that inspired followers to action and work towards racial equity and social justice. He was able to bring about changes in other people. Social scientists assert that psycho analytical aspects are important tools to understand human relationship and behavior especially with regard to social... James Warren Jones or Jim Jones was a religious fanatic who had founded People’s Temple with churches in San Francisco and Los Angeles. As a boy, he was hailed as a religious messiah by his mother. He was a radical in the sense that he believed in equality and promoted social integration of blacks and African American in the mainstream society. His strong belief in the social justice and his views on socialism based on communist leaning became his major plank for propagating new ideology. He established his first church in 1955 in Illinois and later shifted to California to start Peoples Temple. He was greatly influenced by faith healing services of Baptist churches and used practiced psychological and spiritual healing to gain trust and loyalty of his followers.  Jim Jones exhibited leadership traits early when he was able to garner support for his social integration of blacks in the mainstream society. His charismatic personality and strong religious leanings were strong e nabling factors that inspired followers to action and work towards racial equity and social justice. He was able to bring about changes in other people. Social scientists assert that psycho analytical aspects are important tools to understand human relationship and behavior especially with regard to social defenses, leadership paradigms and motivation (Levinson, 2002; Gabriel, 1999). These elements were extensively used by Jones to garner support for his religious and social bigotry. The understanding equipped him with the necessary knowledge.