Throughout the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding, different characters demonstrate both good and bad leadership skills. Because the group varies widely in age and personality, a successful leader would need very specific skills such as knowledge, respect, trust, organization and control. An effective leader of the boys would possess the specific qualities of Ralph and Piggy.
             Although Ralph is not the perfect leader he possesses many good leadership skills. When the boys arrive on the island, Ralph is the first to demonstrate these. He calls everyone together and begins making rules and setting priorities. Ralph works very hard to keep things together and gives different people different jobs. "Jack's in charge of the choir. They can be-what do you want them to be? Hunters." (p.22) This shows that he is trying to keep things organized. Ralph also has very good listening skills; he calls meetings "Every day. Twice a day." (p.51) He does this in order to sort things out and, like a good leader, seeks the advice and opinions of the other boys although, he does not necessarily take it. Even when the others begin to decline into savagery Ralph still tries very hard to make the others realize that the only way they will be rescued is if they work together. At the beginning Ralph is respected by the other boys because he calls all the boys together and has good physical features. "But there was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out: there was his size, and attractive appearance; and most obscurely, yet most powerfully, there was the conch." (p. 22)
             Ralph also possesses some bad qualities, which makes it hard for him to succeed as a leader. Ralph may have the organizational skills but he is not aggressive enough. When he gives out jobs he does not enforce what each individual has to do. He does not have power and authority over the boys the way
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