Leadership Handout

Folktale – a definition

Folktales tend to focus on the earthly adventures and fortunes of individuals, either royalty or common folk, or animals who speak and act like people. They have no particular connection to a specific time or place. They sometimes include supernatural or fantasy elements but their purpose is generally to show how best to live in the world – through either a negative or positive example. In this way folktales can provide us with ‘life lessons’.

Exploring the text

1. On what basis does thelion become king of the forest? What does this require from those who follow him?

What do you think the message of the tale is when it comes to being a follower?

2. What does the lion think is the point of being a leader? How does this lead to his downfall?

3. Explain the beetles strategy for revealing the truth about the lion-king. On what assumptions and beliefs about leadership is this strategy based?

Working beyond the text

5. There are many different styles of leadership. Think about a time that you have been a leader, and other leaders you know about and hear about in your class, school and community.

In a small group complete the following table of good qualities of leaders and bad qualities of leaders.

Compare your list with another group’s. What qualities do you have in common?

Good qualities of leaders / Bad qualities of leaders
Listens to other people / Ignores other people

8. Below are a number of quotes about leadership. As a class discuss what you think each of these people is saying about the nature of leadership. What values are implied about good leadership?

I must follow the people. Am I not their leader? (Benjamin Disraeli, from http://en.thinkexist.com)

To lead people, walk beside them … As for the best leaders, the people do not notice their existence. The next best, the people honor and praise. The next, the people fear; and the next, the people hate … When the best leader’s work is done the people say, ‘We did it ourselves!’

(Lao-tsu, from http://www.brainyquote.com)

Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far. (Theodore Roosevelt, from http://www.brainyquote.com)

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. (Dwight Eisenhower, from http://en.thinkexist.com)

How fortunate for leaders that men do not think. (Adolf Hitler, from http://en.thinkexist.com)

• Use the Internet or other resources in your library to find three quotes by famous people that reflect your ideas about leadership.

• Write your quotes out on strips of coloured paper and display them on a pinboard in your classroom.

11. Write your own modern-day folktale of 300–500 words that shows what you believe is the most important thing about leadership.