An example of hands-on leadership from classical literature

In the fast-paced world that we live, reading books from classical literature tends to become an obsolete pastime.

However, many of these books are gems in their own right, and by reading them, a reader can have access to and reflect on insightful information that comes from the past to elucidate the present.

“A son of the sun”, written by Jack London, is such a book.

In the face of David Grief, who is the main hero of the book, a reader with an interest in leadership and management can identify many of the traits that a modern leader is expected to have, according to the latest leadership and management theories, so it can be argued that this book was well ahead of its time from many aspects that pertain to leadership.

David Grief, a hands-on leader from the past

Throughout the chapters of the book, David Grief does not have any hesitation to work harder than the lowest-ranking members of his crew, regardless of the conditions and consequences.

If this is not a perfect example of hands-on leadership, I don’t know anything else that could be described as such.

It could be argued that David Grief is a fictional character who embarks on adventures that originate entirely out of fiction, so he doesn’t really count as a real example of a hands-on leader.

However, although his story is fictional, his example can serve as a guideline for any aspiring hands-on leader to follow.

In a chapter of the book, he works shifts alongside other members of his crew to keep a ship engine running, showing his technical knowledge and skills, at the same time.

When his crew members see his example, they have no excuse to work less than their leader.

Modern leaders can benefit from copying his approach, because, in this way, they will be able to boost the motivation levels of their team members, since nothing is more effective than setting an example of optimum performance and effort, as long as this example is genuine and authentic rather a hypocritical effort just to put up a show.