“Don't drink the Kool-Aid!” ” is a well-known saying that generally means completely adhering to an idea or system, whether good or bad. Although this is an interesting quote, it hides a terrible story behind it. This phrase refers to the 1978 mass suicide of more than 900 people from a sect known as the People's Temple in Jonestown, Guyana, led by Jim Jones. Jim Jones created The People's Temple, a civil rights group, which gained popularity in Redwood, California. The People's Temple started as something good and turned into something tragic that will remain a dirty stain on history even today. I chose to study the leadership of Jim Jones because of his dramatic change from a leader with such charisma and good intentions to a manipulative sociopath. Background James Warren “Jim” Jones was born on May 13, 1931 in Lynn, Indiana. Jim Jones grew up in a very racially segregated area of ​​Indiana and in a broken home. Jones' father had little influence from a young age. His father was a wounded World War I veteran, a suspected drunken member of the Ku Klux Klan who left his mother with the burden of caring for the family. His mother supported the family by working in a factory to put food on the table. Jones was a very strange child; in interviews for the documentary Jonestown: The Life and Death of the People's Temple (Nelson 2007), childhood friends claimed that he was obsessed with death. One person said he was even caught several times arranging funerals for small, dead animals. From a young age, Jones was exposed to religion, particularly the Pentecostal sect of Christianity. With no father figure to look up to, he looked to the pastors at his church for a role model. Watching local pastors speak moved Jones; he id...... middle of paper...... were against the will of God and immoral. Jones also physically and emotionally abused his followers. Jones' inability to deal with his problem affected his ability to effectively serve his followers and achieve the goals he had set for his congregation. The most extreme example of unethical behavior was when he ordered his supporters to kill Congressman Leo Ryan who was leaving Jonestown, Guyana, in order to prevent some of his supporters from leaving and avoid any government interference in his community. Jones successfully manipulated his followers into believing that his congregation would change the world, but his failure to act ethically and effectively led to his downfall. Intemperate Leadership Intemperate leadership is defined as “The leader lacks self-control and is aided and abetted by followers who are unwilling or unable to intervene effectively” (Kellerman, p...42).