Thesis Proposal
Thesis Proposal
The following exercise entails the analysis of the personalities of two internationally
known leaders with special attention being paid to the way their personal attributes relate to
existent theories that elaborate more on this phenomenon. The two leaders who will be analyzed
are Sir Richard Branson, CEO of the Virgin Group and Sir Akbar Al Baker who is the current
CEO of Qatar Airways.
The three theories that will be applied to the analysis of these two individuals’
personalities are Allport’s Trait Theory, Eysenck’s personality Theory and Freud’s Tripartite
Theory of Personality.
Freud’s Tripartite theory of personality divides an individual’s character traits into three
main components namely the id, the ego and thirdly the superego. These develop at different
rates and an individual’s overall personality can be defined as one of these depending on the
most visible aspect of the person. One will be said to have a Psychotic Psyche, Healthy Psyche
or Neurotic Psyche depending on which of the three are most pronounced.
Eysenck’s personality theory on the other hand employs two dimensions namely
extroverted and introverted as a means of categorizing the various possible personalities that an
individual may present. These are choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic and finally melancholic. Each
of these are further divided into tens of smaller sub-categories.
Allport’s Trait Theory analyzes individuals subjectively based on their in-born traits
combined with the environmental dynamics that they have been exposed to as they were
developing. The theory takes the position that individual personalities are directly impacted by
biology and their environmental variables.
The above theories can all be used to analyze the personalities of Sir Branson and Al
Baker. This is due to the flexibility and practicality of the above mentioned theories and the
information that is available regarding the two international business leaders.
My intended application of the insights
I will apply the insights I get to the different situations that these two leaders have been in
specifically at the beginning of their respective careers, when things have been difficult for them
and also how they have handled success. Since they are both in the business world, I will also
apply the insights I am getting to their impact on the products that the organizations they
currently lead supply to the market. Their relationships with different parties is another area
where insights can be applied. These parties include their superiors where applicable, their
subordinates, their competitors and also their customers.
With respect to my working situation of being a pilot, I will apply these insights to the
ambitions I hold for myself in this profession, the working relationship I have with those around
me and how I measure up against the recommended standards. I will also consider the motivation
that I have as a pilot and what impact this has on my leadership if any.
Sources to be used
The following are the data sources that I intend to use in this study.
Bass, BM 2009, From Transactional to Transformational Leadership. Albany, NY: Free
Press.
Pasmore, W. (2014) Developing a Leadership Strategy: A Critical Ingredient for
Organizational Success. White Paper, Centre for Creative Leadership
Marx, T 2013, ‘Teaching Leadership and Strategy’, Business Education Innovation
Journal, Vol. 5 no. 2, pp. 12-19.
Lang, R, & Rybnikova, I. (2012). Leadership is Going Global.
Malcolm, G. (2002). The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference.
Boston: Back Bay Books.
