Warren Petchalonis Journal 1 GRIT 798

Hobbes and Rand state in their book The Ethics of Leadership that self-interest is the onl dri!in" force of hu#an action$% &' There are both stren"ths and (eaknesses that co#e (ith this ar"u#ent$ )ne (eakness to this state#ent is #entioned b *andra +a,a!e in that it-s eas to think of countere.a#/les 0 cases that falsif the "enerali1ation that all hu#an acts are selfish2 i$e$2 cases of /eo/le actin" unselfishl $ It certainl a//ears that /eo/le so#eti#es act in (a s that are not in accord (ith their o(n interests3 the soldier (ho falls on the "renade to sa!e his buddies$% *o the blanket state#ent that self-interest is the onl dri!in" force a//ears to be false$ Ho( can e!er hu#an action be dri!en fro# self interest4 What about /eo/le (ho (ork for non-/rofits that s/eciali1e in /ro!ide e5ual o//ortunities to students2 or /eo/le in!ol!ed in disaster relief4 It is also /ossible to #ake a si#ilar clai# thou"h in fa!or of (h all hu#an action is dri!en fro# self-interest$ Is it /ossible that so#eone could be (orkin" for charit so the can #ake the#sel!es feel "ood4 It is not entirel baseless that so#eone #a be in!ol!ed in non-/rofits for career ad!ance#ent or resu#e buildin"$ With this idea in the back of our #inds2 (e can no( a//l ho( self-interest can affect leadershi/$ 6n ob!ious li#itation to the idea that self interest dri!es hu#an action as it affects leadershi/ is that (ould #ean that as the leader-s interest (ains2 so do the follo(ers of the leader$ If the leader (as dri!in" to beco#e the to/ #anufacture of co#/uters2 and then suddenl (as bored b this idea2 it (ould see# that this t /e of ne"ati!it could trickle all the (a do(n to the lo(est subordinates$ )ne could also reason that leader #ust be 1778 in!ested in bein" a leader2 or his leadershi/ (ill suffer$ If so#eone (as a reluctant leader2 the (ould b definition to (orse at leadin" than so#eone (ho is dri!en to ha!e /o(er o!er /eo/le$ 6nother li#itation (ould be if a leader had a li#ited sco/e or !ie( of so#ethin" it could sto/ the "rou/ he (as leadin" fro# #eetin" their full /otential$ If ou are a co#/an that #akes (rist (atches2 and fail to see ou could "o into the business of #akin" (all clocks as (ell2 our lack of foresi"ht could be inad!ertentl causin" our co#/na fro# reach it-s full /otential$ There are #an stren"ths ho(e!er that could arise fro# a leader that is dri!e solel b self interest$ 6 leader of a co#/an is can be a"ree"i!es because he (ants his co#/an to succeed$

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