Aristotle and Lao Tzu's Idea of Good Leadership

Good Leader Scenario
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August 3, 2020
One of the main difficulties that a leader's face comes in the application of his ethical knowledge in real-life situations. In most cases, a good leader would face a variety of challenges where have has to make a difficult decision between two options that both seem right. In this paper, the author would focus on one instance when he had to make a difficult decision as he performed the role of a leader. Although this kind of leadership was only performed in the academic setting, he believes that analyzing this kind of dilemma in light of the works of philosophers would allow him to make a better decision in his future career. 
The Dilemma
           The main dilemma that the author experienced happened when he served as a leader for an academic project that also serves as a final requirement. Since the project weighs 30% of the overall grade for the subject, the instructor gave the leader the authority to remove a member for grounds of ‘tardiness’ or ‘lack of cooperation’ upon the initiative of his groupmates. Although the requirement went smoothly at first, one of the members has repeatedly become absent saying that he was sick. Although he had valid reasons for his tardiness, the members did not believe him and initiated a complaint to remove him from the group since he was known for being a habitual liar. Additionally, even though the member provided them with medical certificates, the members stipulated that such may be fabricated and decided to remove him from the group. In other words, the dilemma that the leader faced is based on choosing whether to remove his teammate or not. 
The Definition of a Good Leader
           Although there are a lot of varying definitions about what a good leader should be, an analysis of the different ideas of philosophers would show that a good leader is also a good follower. However, being a good follower does not only mean being able to abide by the rules but also empathizing with one’s members and balancing between their well-being and the collective goals of the group. In the case at hand, it was shown that the habitual absenteeism of one of the members has caused a lot of delays and added to the individual output of the group. This was especia...