Giovani Castillo Ortega

Professor Charlton

Leaders Who Changed Their Worlds

December 13, 2020

Critical Analysis Essay

Jack Roosevelt Robinson, better known as Jackie Robinson, used his personal leadership traits partnered with his authentic leadership skills along with his ability to use his values to drive commitment, staying focused on the future outcomes and using the obstacles placed in front of him to his advantage in order to open the door for future minorities that will want to play in the MLB.

Jackie Robinsons personal leadership traits played a major role in making Robinson an effective leader. The Trait Approach centers around the individual qualities of the leader whether that is their character, values or actual attributes. In Leadership: Theory and Practice it states, “The findings of Stogdill’s first survey also indicated that an individual does not become a leader solely because that individual possesses certain traits. Rather, the traits that leaders possess must be relevant to situations in which the leader is functioning. As stated earlier, leaders in one situation may not necessarily be leaders in another situation”. This quote is explaining that it’s not only important to posses these leadership traits but its important to be in a position where you can exercise them to become an effective leader. In the article “Jackie Robinson”, it states “At the time, Brooklyn Dodgers executive Branch Rickey was scouting the Negro Leagues, looking for players who not only had the talent but the demeanor to withstand the pressures associated with integrating Major League Baseball. Robinson was one of several players Rickey interviewed in August 1945 for assignment to the Dodgers’ farm team in Montreal, the Royals”.  This shows how Robinson was put into a situation where he was able to use those leadership traits, he is exceptionally very willed and driven. His strong will and drive were what helped him open those doors for future minorities that wished to play in the MLB.

 Jackie Robinsons personal leadership skill had to work hand in hand with his authentic leadership skills. The Authentic Leadership approaches emphasizes on how “real” a leader is when tackling a task and how their relationship is with their team. In Leadership: Theory and Practice it states, “Finally, authentic leadership can be defined from a developmental perspective, which is exemplified in the work of Avolio and his associates (Avolio & Gardner, 2005; Gardner, Avolio, & Walumbwa, 2005; Walumbwa, Avolio, Gardner, Wernsing, & Peterson, 2008). This perspective, which underpins the approaches to authentic leadership discussed in the following section, views authentic leadership as something that can be nurtured in a leader, rather than as a fixed trait. Authentic leadership develops in people over a lifetime and can be triggered by major life events, such as a severe illness or a new career.” What this quote is saying is that authenticity in a leader isn’t a trait that they’re born with, its something that they learn through experience over time. In Robinsons case it was an incident he had when he was in the Army. In the article, “Jackie Robinson” it states, “He was acquitted on all the charges at court martial, but it has been said that his experiences during the proceedings likely shaped his response to the racist taunts he received, a few years later, from fans and fellow players at the start of his professional baseball career.” This relates back to In Leadership: Theory and Practice because this was a major life event that happened in Robinsons life that helped develop his authenticity. The more Robinson would face racism especially when becoming the first African American to play professionally in the MLB, that would only help to develop and build his authenticity even more.

Jackie Robinson was committed to accomplish his achievements, but it was his values that helped drive that commitment. “Truth 3: Values Drive Commitment” focuses on how effective leaders use their values to help drive their commitment when they’re trying to accomplish their goals, as well as how that commitment helps the leader work effectively with their team. In The Truth About Leadership on page 31 it states “The Truth Is That Values Drive Commitment. You cannot fully commit to something that isn’t important to you-no one can. You can’t fully commit to something that doesn’t fit with who you are and how you see yourself. In order to devote the time, to expend the energy, and to make the sacrifices necessary, you have to know exactly what makes it worth doing in the first place”. This quote shows the importance of values and the leaders commitment depends on how those values relate to the goals they’re trying to accomplish. In the Biography section on jackierobinson.com it states “At the end of Robinson’s rookie season with the Brooklyn Dodgers, he had become National League Rookie of the Year with 12 homers, a league-leading 29 steals, and a .297 average. In 1949, he was selected as the NL’s Most Valuable player of the Year and also won the batting title with a .342 average that same year. As a result of his great success, Jackie was eventually inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962”. These are some of the impressive stats that Robinson put up, it was his values that helped him stay committed to achieve these stats. This was important for Robinson because he ultimately showed the MLB that an African- American can play just as good and better than a White-American.

   Jackie Robinson ability to focus on the future outcomes helped him to stay on track to accomplish his goals. In “Truth 4: Focusing on the Future Sets Leaders Apart” it focuses on a leader’s ability to look at an objective in a long-term perspective. In The Truth About Leadership on page 46 it states “The Truth Is That Focusing on the Future Sets Leaders Apart. The capacity to imagine and articulate exciting future possibilities is the defining competence of leader. Leaders are custodians of the future. They are concerned about tomorrow’s world and those who will inherit it. They ask, ‘What’s new? What’s next? What’s going to happen after the current project is completed?’ into the distance, imagine what’s over the horizon, and move forward toward a new and compelling future”. This quote is emphasizing that the best leaders are those who think about the future and what they can do to get closer to accomplishing their goals. In the article “Jackie Robinson”, it states “After retiring from the Dodgers, Robinson acted as a sportscaster, worked as a business executive at Chock full o’Nuts and was active in the NAACP and other civil rights groups.” This is a great example of Robinson focusing on the future, after retiring he continued to fight for civil rights. Becoming the first African-American to play in the MLB was one of the first steps to fight for civil rights and continuing to fight for civil rights after retiring shows how effective of a leader Robinson was, he focused on the future and how he could help.

            Jackie Robinson was always able to overcome any challenge that came his was and learn from it to make him a more effective leader. “Truth 7: Challenge is the Crucible for Greatness” highlights the idea that the most effective leaders throughout history have faced the hardest challenges but still persevered and made them better leaders. In The Truth About Leadership on page 93 it states, “The Truth Is That Challenge Is the Crucible for Greatness. The study of leadership is the study of how men and women guide people through uncertainty, hardship, disruption, transformation, transition, recovery, new beginnings, and other significant challenges. It’s also the study of how men and women, in times of constancy and complacency, actively seek to disturb the status quo, awaken new possibilities, and pursue opportunities.” This quote explains how effective leader will often benefit from challenges because they will look for the best ways to overcome those challenges and learn from those challenges. In the Biography section on jackierobinson.com its state, “Growing up in a large, single-parent family, Jackie excelled early at all sports and learned to make his own way in life. At UCLA, Jackie became the first athlete to win varsity letters in four sports: baseball, basketball, football and track. In 1941, he was named to the All-American football team. Due to financial difficulties, he was forced to leave college and eventually decided to enlist in the U.S. Army. After two years in the army, he had progressed to second lieutenant. Jackie’s army career was cut short when he was court-martialed in relation to his objections with incidents of racial discrimination. In the end, Jackie left the Army with an honorable discharge.” This is a great example of how Robinson was able to make the most of his obstacles and continue to fight for what he wanted which ultimately translated later in his life when he played in the MLB. Robinson had grit which helped him overcome his toughest challenges and help for civil rights.

            Ultimately it was a collective of Jackie Robinson’s personal traits, authenticity, commitment, future vision and grit that helped him fight for civil rights and give hope to future minorities that will one day want to play in the MLB.  Many lessons can be learned for Robinson’s life, but the main lesson is to fight for what you think is right and right for the people around you. These lessons can be used for everybody whether its regarding school, work or social problems.

Works Cited

1. Posner. The Truth About Leadership: The No-Fads, Heart-of-the-Matter Facts You Need to Know, 2010.

2. Northouse, Peter Guy. Leadership: Theory and Practice. Eighth Edition. Los Angeles: SAGE Publications, 2019.

3. Rampersad, Arnold. Jackie Robinson: A Biography. Ballantine Books, 2011.

4. History.com Editors. “Jackie Robinson.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 29 Oct. 2009, www.history.com/topics/black-history/jackie-robinson.

5. “Biography – The Official Licensing Website of Jackie Robinson.” Jackie Robinson, www.jackierobinson.com/biography/.