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Principles of Leadership in the Middle Ages: The case of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar

Principles of Leadership in the Middle Ages: The case of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar

By Benjamin Smith

Published Online

Introduction: The premise of this paper is not unlike the successful books on management and leadership , The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey or Leadership secrets of Attila the Hun by Wess Roberts. Much has been written on the textual, folkloric or linguistic precedents to the Cantar of mio Cid, but little has been said of the leadership models and precedents. Nor has anyone (to my knowledge) situated Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar in a context within the worthies of his time. Colin Smith writes that he outshined any other epic protagonist in France up to and including Roland and Charlemagne, but based on what qualities? The man, Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar’s characteristics were habits of his personality that made him the charismatic leader he became. There are seven principle traits outlined here that not only make him stand out as worthy of following to medieval soldiers, but that have ensured the poem’s longevity and popularity despite the passing centuries.

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