Napoleon (1769–1821)

Elements of Napoleon's Rise To Power and Leadership

Napoleon's career developed during the chaos of the French Revolution, while France was at war with its neighbors, and amid the instability of the Directory government that followed. His rise was due to an absence of good military leadership, to assistance rendered him by various important people early in his career, and to his considerable talent. He was a natural leader of men and was able to dominate them with the sheer force of his personality and will.

Napoleon excelled in both political and military leadership. His genius of intellect, his ability to seize opportunity and exploit it to the fullest, and his eye for detail and the grand picture were essential to his success as was his ability to communicate and to promote favorable information and imagery. The latter is seen most notably in the Bulletins of his military campaigns, which were carefully written for the consumption of his men, the French public, and his enemies.

Napoleon's leadership style was innovative; people perceived him as a leader who would bring positive social, political, and military change to France. Indeed, Napoleon's domestic reforms alone would have made him a successful leader. His inventive military tactics and organization were advanced beyond those of his opponents. His soldiers recognized his original skills and their benefits as much as the general citizenry; both rallied to his cause.

Using Max Weber's ideal typology as a model, we can regard Napoleon as a charismatic leader since he exhibits many of the model's signal characteristics. His appeal largely was based on his image as a hero, as an exemplary person who could accomplish more than anyone else. Leadership based on heroic charisma, however, depends on victory. Napoleon recognized that, pointing out numerous times that his power rested not on his right to govern but on his accomplishments, especially on the battlefield.

Weber's model of charismatic leadership requires that the leader is aware of his special qualities, believes that he has a “calling,” and that others recognize this quality. It is unclear when Napoleon developed this image of himself, but it seems clear by the end of his career that he had this self-image as did his contemporaries. The devotion of Napoleon's soldiers to him is legend; the civilian population was equally willing to follow him anywhere.

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