Dear Jessica,

Alexander the Great was a powerful king and the world's greatest military general who created a vast empire that stretched from Macedonia to Egypt and Greece to part of India, allowing  Hellenistic culture to become widespread. As the most famous figure of ancient Greece, Alexander attracted psychologists and social theorists to reflect on his accomplishment and explain his personality. I will share two findings in this post.

Some researchers utilized Freudian concepts such as the Oedipus complex, castration anxiety, fear of loss of love, the psychosexual stages of development, and the tripartite structure of personality to understand the life and achievements of Alexander the Great. Thomas (1995) utilized historical data to demonstrate that Alexander's unresolved Oedipus complex,  ambition, and self-confidence instilled in him by Olympias, his anal-sadistic and narcissistic character, his unconscious wish to please his mother, and his desire for heroism could explain much of Alexander's personality structure and behavior.

Other intellectuals used the social identity theory of leadership to explain Alexander's successes. According to the social identity theory of leadership, effective leadership is about the group's collective sense of togetherness. Alexander began assembling a multicultural Greek army to invade Asia. Through his words, behavior, and lifestyle, he became a champion of the group's interests. Depersonalization is another critical point for a group to perform at its peak potential because it allows for an individual to become influential over the group. Alexander had to unite and inspire his army to defeat the mighty Persian Empire. Besides, a successful leader must cultivate a persona that resonates with the group, an "ingroup prototype." Thus, Alexander invoked the legend of the Trojan War, a story all Greeks were familiar with, to help foster a shared sense of identity and purpose among his soldiers. Alexander's particular reverence for Achilles allowed him to remain at the heart of his followers' shared identity. Hence, he united and inspired his diverse army, stood for the grouü's values that separated them from their Persian enemies, and reinforced his status as the group prototype ("The 6 Leadership Secrets of Alexander the Great," 2015).

References:

Thomas, K.R. (1995). A psychoanalytic study of Alexander the Great. Psychoanal Rev. 82(6):859-901. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8657823/

The 6 Leadership Secrets of Alexander the Great. (2015, November 17). Retrieved from