The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Essay Example
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Essay Example

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Essay Example

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  • Pages: 7 (1656 words)
  • Published: September 6, 2017
  • Type: Case Study
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The Fellowship of the Ring, directed by Peter Jackson in 2001, is a film adaptation of JRR Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, which was written from 1954 to 1955. Shot in New Zealand, the movie portrays Lord Sauron's quest for the one ring in order to regain his power.

During The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo and eight companions set out on a quest to Mount Doom in Mordor to destroy the ring.

Introduction
The evaluation focuses on two leaders: Aragorn, son of Arathorn, who disguises himself as the King of Middle-Earth, and Gandalf the Grey, leader of the Fellowship of the Ring. These individuals display leadership qualities throughout the film.

Leadership Styles
Aragorn exhibits charisma and vision as a leader. He not only achieves his objectives but also influences and supports his team members. In accordance with Max Weber (1947), charisma

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refers to authority based on devotion to an exceptional individual's holiness, heroism, or exemplary character, as well as adherence to their norms and order revealed or ordained by them.

Aragorn, a hero, saved the lives of the hobbits in Bree while they were being pursued by the Nazgul. He also fought against the Uruk-hai while they mercilessly attacked the members of the Fellowship near Amon Hen. After the death of Gandalf the Grey, Aragorn's determination continued to save his team members' lives. Charismatic leaders are effective communicators who not only adeptly communicate with everyone but also connect with their followers on an emotional level. In The Fellowship of the Ring, Aragorn doubted his leadership abilities. However, he understood how to motivate his team members and took the necessary actions.

Aragorn demonstrates exceptional strength of character when Frodo presents

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him with the one ring at Parth Galen. Aragorn's refusal displays his unwavering purity and allows Frodo to continue their mission for the greater good. According to Roslyn Franz (2013), magnetic leaders possess the ability to understand others' emotions and needs. In the film, Aragorn exemplifies this trait by attentively listening during conversations. When Frodo decides to separate from the fellowship, Aragorn respects his decision and expresses his willingness to accompany him until the very end, even into the fires of Mordor. Furthermore, he motivates Gimli and Legolas to save Merry and Pippin from their dire fate by embarking on a hunt for orcs. Conversely, Gandalf embodies a transformational leader: someone who inspires both their followers and themselves through consistently expecting greatness.

According to Stephen Warrilow (2013), transformational leadership is characterized by its focus on values, meaning, and a purpose beyond short-term goals, highlighting higher order needs. This type of leadership was exemplified by Gandalf in The Fellowship of the Ring when he undertook the task of taking the ring to Mordor and destroying it. In addition to this feat, Gandalf played the role of a wise mentor to Frodo and Aragorn, motivating them to enhance themselves and pursue knowledge and self-actualization. He possessed a clear vision that inspired his followers towards its achievement. Kendra Cherry (2013) states that transformational leadership leads to positive changes in those who follow.

In the movie, Gandalf urges Frodo to keep the ring and protect it even though Frodo did not want to possess it. Gandalf encourages the hobbits to be brave and also motivates Aragorn to be a competent leader.

Effectiveness of a Leader

Both Gandalf and Aragorn are

highly effective leaders. Gandalf is wise and extremely effective, earning people's trust and respect due to his reliability, honesty, and charisma. He holds strong values, values everyone, and uses his powers to shape and guide others.

Aragorn and Gandalf were both wise leaders in "The Lord of the Rings". Aragorn was considerate, faithful, and classless. They both had a clear vision and a shared goal of destroying the ring.

Type of Power

Gandalf held legitimate power, which refers to an individual who has authority and influence over their team.

In this movie, Gandalf is depicted as a charismatic individual who possesses charming powers as well as wisdom and knowledge about middle-earth. Additionally, he holds referent power due to his rank as the second in the Isitari aces order. Gandalf utilized his powers to save the ring's family and engage in a battle with an animal in the mines of Moira, which ultimately resulted in his death. However, Gandalf demonstrated great discretion in his use of power, willingly sacrificing himself to save his followers. Moreover, he utilized his charming abilities to entertain hobbits by creating pyrotechnics at Bilbo's party, an act driven solely by good intentions. In contrast, Aragorn possesses the power of charisma, which is attributed to an individual whose exceptional qualities are capable of inspiring numerous people.

Aragorn's exceptional oratory skills and charismatic personality enable him to gather followers. In this film scene, Frodo's desperation intensifies as Gandalf prepares to depart, prompting him to shout out and nearly pursue Gandalf. However, Aragorn assumes control of the situation and encourages Frodo to persevere. Despite not being the chosen leader, Frodo decides to follow Aragorn's lead. Furthermore, Aragorn utilizes his personal

influence to inspire others and guide them in the correct direction. Although lacking magical abilities, Aragorn still motivates individuals and nurtures unwavering trust in himself.

The film features a significant moment highlighting the analysis of Gandalf and Aragorn. This occurs during the scene where Gandalf is hanging on the border of a broken bridge while fighting bilrog. In this critical moment, Gandalf implores the others by saying "Fly you fools!" He understands that if they choose to stay and aid him, they too will meet their demise. His intention is for them to move forward, complete their journey, and accomplish a greater purpose - the destruction of the one ring. As a transformational leader, Gandalf considers the well-being of all humanity and their followers rather than solely focusing on himself. He employs his magical powers to combat evil forces.

Despite Frodo's protests, Aragorn, displaying his charismatic and visionary leadership style, understood the situation and followed the orders of their leader. He recognized that he needed to defer to his wise mentor Gandalf for the greater good, allowing Frodo to continue their journey towards Mordor.

Type of Administration, Degree of Senior Status and Its Consequence

The Fellowship of the Ring was a unique group created with the purpose of destroying the one ring. This group was gathered in Rivendell during Middle Earth's fictional Second Age.

The family, which included nine members, began a journey to Mordor with the task of destroying the ring. The ring was created in the fires of Mount Doom. Among this family were four hobbits (Frodo, Samwise, Peregrin, and Meriadoc), two men (Aragorn and Boromir), one wizard (Gandalf the Grey), one dwarf (Gimli), and one elf (Legolas)

from the forest kingdom. Initially, Gandalf served as their leader but after sacrificing his life, Aragorn reluctantly assumed that role. Regardless of any differences, all members acknowledged Gandalf as their designated leader and faithfully followed him.

He was the most senior and highly regarded person. The Blake and Mouton leadership grid is a two-dimensional model that describes different leadership styles based on measuring concern for people and production (R.D 2008). Gandalf is a "high high" leader and occupies the 9,9 position on the grid. A 9,9 leader is both highly focused on people and tasks. Gandalf takes care of his followers and is responsible for completing the task. Aragorn was the only king in the family.

Despite never using his power as a male monarch, Aragorn demonstrated his ability to inspire and motivate people through his leadership skills. In the film, he utilized his inherent traits to assume a leadership role when necessary. According to the Great Man Theory, great leaders are naturally endowed with leadership qualities from birth. This theory aims to identify the distinguishing traits possessed by leaders, setting them apart from non-leaders (R.D 2008). Aragorn, being born a king, inherently possessed these leadership traits, although he concealed his true identity from the rest of the world.

He took charge of the family in times of crisis. Individual Civilization and Its Consequence Culture and tradition are significant factors in the lives of leaders. Aragorn, as the king of Gondor, secretly resided in Rivendell as a Texas Ranger following his father's death. The influence of his cultural upbringing equipped Aragorn with leadership skills, whether he was aware of it or not. That's why people paid attention when

Aragorn spoke.

Gandalf, who was second in the Isitari order, was an ace. The Isitari order has a organizational culture that prohibits the misuse of powers. Saruman, who was first in the order, abused his powers and sought to destroy humanity. Gandalf attempted to prevent this. While they were part of the same organization, they were only allowed to provide guidance and were unable to change individuals using their magical abilities.

Both Gandalf and Aragorn aim to save all animals in middle-earth by destroying the family of the ring.

Leadership Theories

One theory exemplified in this movie is the one revealed by the 'Ohio' province studies research, which aimed to understand dimensions of leadership behavior. Consideration and initiating structure are the two categories of leadership behavior uncovered by this study. Consideration refers to a leader who values and respects the opinions and feelings of their followers.

Originating construction refers to the level of effort a leader puts in to complete a given task. In the movie, Gandalf pays attention to the experiences and thoughts of his followers. However, he is also responsible for the task at hand, which is destroying the one ring. In the leadership hierarchy, Gandalf holds the 9,9 position, also known as the "high high" place. In a scene from the film, when Pippin accidentally knocks a skeleton into a well, Gandalf becomes angry but still guides the others and ensures their safety.

He did this in order for the remaining members of the family to complete their mission of destroying the ring.

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