Leadership studies during the Renaissance
"A few gifted people may become leaders; most of mankind must be led. Leadership potential is inborn, but it will develop only if a proper education is begun early and system-atically continued."
Source : http://www.education.umn.edu/EdPA/iconics/reading%20room/6.htm
During the European Renaissance, leadership roles were for the aristocrats and hence for sons of aristocrats, leadership education was sometimes mandatory. "Blood tells, but it does not tell everything and it does not tell enough of what is important" was how some theorists summarized how being born into aristocracy is not enough for being a leader. "Philip fathered Alexander's body, but Aristotle was father to his mind." (e.g., John Clark, Declamations, 1625) was a theme, which was found prevalent in the Renaissance period.
The studies, which were undertaken in leadership education, were centered on
i) Religion tempered by philosophy
ii) Broad selection of books that was both substantially and rhetorically profound
The use of philosophy in the Renaissance meant moral philosophy and would be intended on the cultivation of moral character. The selection of books that were considered for the leaders were from prose and poetry and they were considered for two reasons
i) They serve as examples of great lives and how great men faced challenges
ii) For cultivating communication skills, both written and oral
Substance and Style were both integral for Renaissance theorists and was summarized in the article as follows - "Substance without style cannot move imagination, cannot inspire. Style without substance is trivial; it may amuse, but it is useless in the formation of leaders, for leaders must be im-bued with moral principles."
The inspiration for this article came from this site here, when I was going searching for interesting aspects of the Renaissance which could relate easily to us and if it not be the study of Leadership, what else is more relative to CICS?