Who Should Be the Leader in Lord of the Flies Essay Example

A group of School boys have crashed on an uninhabited island. The boys have no idea where they are. Many people try to step up and become the leader of the island. One of the boys, Simon, has many of the traits to become a strong and powerful leader. He has strong communication skills, shows integrity, and has helpful-problem solving skills.

Communication is the key to success. Simon shows these communication skills throughout the beginning of Lord of the Flies. “An effective leader knows how to put across his message. They are good orators and communicate effectively to get work done. They are not harsh; they choose words and expressions which suit the situation and allow others to express their thoughts and ideas” (“25 leadership qualities” Anjan Pathak 7, 2021). Getting a strong message to dozens of boys is very hard, and trying to convince them to take your side is even harder. From Lord of the Flies 58, ““We haven’t made a fire,” he said ...“A fat lot you tried,” said Jack contemptuously. “You just sat.” “We used his specs,” said Simon.” You can tell that Simon is sticking up for Piggy, one of the boys on the island. He is communicating to the group of boys why they should stop insulting him. Simon is changing the idea of how Jack sees Piggy. Simon is putting his message out to the boys in a manner where it will change the ways the boys think of Piggy at this moment.

You can not run any activity when lacking integrity. Integrity is doing the right thing even though no one is watching. “Integrity is the foundation of good leadership, and one must stand for their beliefs. No matter how hard a situation, a good leader inspires with his principles without compromising; they refrain from making false promises or taking shortcuts, choosing thoughts and action over personal gain.” (“25 leadership qualities” Annan Pathak 1, 2021). A leader needs good qualities to be a leader and integrity is one of them. From the text, Lord of the Flies 78, “Here the littluns who had run after him caught up with him. They talked, cried out unintelligibly, lugged him towards the trees. Then, amid the road of bees in the afternoon sunlight, Simon found for them the fruit they could not reach.” At this time Simon is doing the right thing even though the other boys are not watching. He is showing one of the main qualities of being a leader. Simon is not taking the fruit for himself he is giving it to the littluns for the benefit of the group. Simon is displaying that he would rather have the benefit of the group then himself, which is an outstanding attribute for being a leader.

When you have a complication on a deserted island you need a strong leader to help fix it. Simon is the only boy on the island to help Ralph with the shelter problem. Simon is also the first character to suspect that all is not well on the island and thinks that the nightmares experienced by the younger boys show that it isn't a good place. Even though the group of school boys are stuck in the middle of the ocean, Simon uses his skills to assist Ralph when building the huts. (“25 leadership qualities” Annan Pathak 10, 2021), “Good leaders have this innate ability to respond to problems. They are equipped with the ability to identify and define problems, make an analysis, use data, and communicate with others to solve issues.” This is exactly what a leader needs to do when you are stranded on a deserted island. The leader needs to be able to find food, build shelter, and find a way to get rescued. FIND QUOTE FOR THIS TOPIC. Simon is building a shelter for the boys on the island. He is using his problem solving skills to get work done to survive on the island.

Ralph may have been one of the popular boys that people voted for him to be leader. But, he does not have the greatest qualities to be one. Ralph will make fun of people on the island, one of the boys is Piggy. Piggy and Ralph meet each other after the crash and they introduce themselves. Piggy trusted Ralph that he would not tell anyone what people at his school used to call him. Ralph could not keep Piggy’s trust. This violated one of the traits to become a leader. That trait is integrity. Ralph also became very paranoid. The people on the island can not follow someone that is going crazy.

Simon is the best fit to become a leader. He has problem-solving skills, integrity, and strong communication towards the boys. With Simon as leader, the school boys would have the highest success rate of surviving.