Thomas Keneally has accomplished his goal with Schindlers List. It beautifully and completely realizes the honest story of a man who was an astounding leader in every respect. This book captures with accuracy and poignancy a part of history that every member of every society must know about and never forget, and to do it in novel form is a sign of Keneallys extraordinary ingenuity. To begin with, Oskar Schindlers embodiment of the leadership characteristics we have discussed in class is evident. Charisma, perhaps our most highly discussed quality, is his trademark. Schindler cleverly finds ways to relate to the SS officers and soldiers not only through bribes of high class gifts, but through attentive conversation. Keneally himself even comments that Schindler so obviously had the air of a man with connections. He also uses his gentlemanly art of persuasion to induce the Jewish investors to help him start his company, Deutche Emailwaren Fabrik. Finally, our leaders relations with the women in his life present his charisma. The sheer fact that this man carried on long term relationships with three women at the same time, refusing to lie to them about the others, is convincing enough of his apparent charm. Perhaps we could compare him to another leader, President William Jefferson Clinton, in his exemplification of charisma. Another trait crucial to Schindlers leadership is the ability to shrewdly harness the skills of others. The most obvious example of this ability is his employment of the Jewish accountant Itzhak Stern. Despite the fact that Stern is Jew, Schindler knows he is the best man to help run his business and keep track of his finances and contacts. He immediately recognizes Sterns ability and puts his trust in him. Likewise, Schindlers utilization of Poldek Pfefferberg to connect him to the black market is an equally important union. His trust in Pfefferberg also demonstrates his strong character judgment. Moreover, another...
