Ralph Leadership Analysis

There are certain traits that make a great leader. Those traits are evident in the character Ralph from William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies. The novel opens with school boys stranded on an island after their plane crashing. As they realize there is no adult or form of supervision on the island, the boys vie for the position of chief. Ralph, the protagonist, is elected over Jack, the novel’s antagonist, to lead the group of young boys. Ralph’s best traits that depict his superior leadership are his ability to prioritize, his ability to focus, and, unlike Jack, his selflessness. The organization of priorities is a fundamental trait that gives Ralph an edge over Jack. Ralph, as well as other leaders, demonstrate the ability to plan objectively
Being a leader means effectively communicating and empathizing with others, something that Ralph is supremely capable of (Wills). He crashes on the island with the boys, therefore he knows exactly what they’re all going through. As a leader, he is able to adapt to their needs and learn from their experiences. Golding captures this in Ralph in Chapter Five when he writes, “Only decided Raph as he faced the chief’s seat, I can’t think. Not like Piggy” (78). Ralph is able to recognize the strengths of his peers while also taking notice of his own limitations. He is self-aware and willing to admit the good qualities of others and to use them to their full potential. All fine leaders, such as Ralph, possess aspects surrounding thought and compromise among their
He arrived on the island with prior leadership experience, as he was in charge of the choir. Although his experience is helpful, his selfish mindset sends him to shame compared to Ralph, a more selfless and understanding character. An emerging leader should be “aware of how their emotions affect their decisions and the way they interact with others; they are self aware” (Wills). Ralph clearly illustrates this quality throughout the novel. While Jack is shown to be more on the abusive side toward the boys, Ralph knows exactly what to say to comfort them, especially the younger ones. This is seen when Ralph says to the group, “We’ve got to talk about this fear and decide there’s nothing in it. I’m frightened myself sometimes; only that’s nonsense! Like bogies. Then, when we’ve decided, we can start again and be careful about things like the fire. And be happy” (Golding 82). Ralph has only the best in mind for the boys on the island, and he does what he can to lift their spirits. He doesn’t think solely about himself, but of everyone else around him. As the head of a group, it is important to keep the best interests in mind and to do what benefits the group as a