Are Leaders Born or Made? Share Your Thoughts and Experiences on This Age-Old Debate

An age-old question is: Are successful or true leaders born or made? After 50 years of collecting data on the topic, most psychologists believe that leadership qualities are innate or genetic and thus impossible to learn. The "leaders are born" concept was mainly put in place to ensure the upper classes' continued domination of life and doesn't stand up to any close scrutiny. We've heard that before, but is it true?

On the other hand, military personnel believe that leadership can be taught and that if people are given the right opportunities, they can develop into effective leaders. So, leadership can be a learned skill that improves with experience and intention. Do you agree?

If you have a great leadership tip, story, findings, or any personal experience to share, please do not hesitate to add your comments. Your contribution shall be highly appreciated. Thank you, and looking forward to receiving varied responses.

Best Wishes,

Adnan

Attached is a PowerPoint presentation on the Role of Leadership.

Regards,
Adnan

Dear Members,

Please find enclosed an excerpt on 'The 9 Natural Laws of Leadership' written by Dr. Warren Blank, USA.

Regards,
Adnan

In the millions of words spoken about leadership, there is general agreement that leadership is independent of positional power or authority, though often the two run in parallel.

In any group of people working or living together for any period of time, various individuals will demonstrate a degree of leadership from time to time. This may be because of a "natural tendency" to offer leadership, or perhaps because the individual has particular knowledge and experience with regard to specific matters. How that leadership is expressed is a function of the personality and confidence of the individual.

So the capacity for leadership is inherent in all of us. Some may stifle this capacity because of a lack of confidence or a lack of interest in contributing in this manner. However, the capacity remains.

However, it is all too easy in a team environment to let someone else take the running with leadership. This is a "low-risk" approach. The downside is that decisions are not as enriched when this happens.

The military is a good example of a system that develops the leadership capacity of a broader range of individuals. My hypothesis is that because the military (and similar organizational structures) operate with a clear procedural/operational framework, exercising leadership at an individual level is less "risky." Everyone knows what needs to be done in many situations and is very aware of what is expected of individuals. Leadership here is a function of both procedural knowledge and expectation. It is a limited kind of leadership though as the opportunity for creative approaches is somewhat limited.

Fascinating topic!

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Resume / CV Templates and Resources.

I agree! :)

To stretch the topic and discussion, I am adding three kinds of leadership. Members are welcome to add more.

The basic kind:

Thinking ahead and taking care of yourself. Being prepared for problems before they happen.

This is leadership by example. When people see you are prepared and confident, you get their respect. This kind of leadership is easiest—people learn from each other all the time.

The advanced kind: Thinking and planning for others. Getting groups of people to do things.

This kind of leadership involves taking responsibility for others. This means tougher planning—looking further ahead, thinking about larger numbers of people. This kind of leadership is stressful—you can burn out easily. Your limits will be tested. Communicating is important here—communicating to a group is different from communicating with one person.

The ultimate kind: Investing other folks with responsibility. Being a leader of leaders.

This type of leadership involves giving responsibility to others. You may have to live with problems that aren't your fault. Someone will only do a complex job if they want to. Giving others responsibility is the best (and only) way to increase the power of the group beyond the limits of one person. This type of leadership demands the most intelligence and patience.

Source: Leadership Resources

Sincerely,

Adnan

Saying leaders are born is confusing charisma with leadership. Leadership is a skill, and skills can be acquired. You may have a knack for it, but you can't be born with a skill.

There is an experiment by Alan Jabvoitz (I hope I got the spelling right). He observed 5 similar traits in leaders:

1. Restlessness
2. Self-confidence
3. Tendency to be a loner
4. Need for independence

I don't remember the 5th one.

Also, Alan found the same cycle in the leaders he observed:

1. Early exposure to corporate life
2. Trouble in school
3. Problems with authority at work
4. Need for taking risks and independence
5. Bliss at entrepreneurship

However, another experiment was done by someone named Brazeal. He said that leadership depends on the environment (an argument being made)—the inner environment and the social environment.

My conclusion: it is both! Leaders are born with the quality and need to polish it. For example, playing the piano is a skill that you have to learn; you can't just be born and start playing the piano. That's absurd. Similarly, you can't teach a monkey to be a leader; it must have that charisma or quality in them.

Comments expected! 😉

Webster's defines a leader as simply being, a person or thing that leads. While leadership is defined as being the function or position of a leader, it is more complex than that. Leadership is a behavior we exert when we take responsibility for our actions and their consequences. It is about being accountable when we assume responsibility for guiding others. Leadership is often the difference between success and failure. It is what separates the doers from the observers, and it is what gives positive direction to individuals and organizations.

I say leaders are made by us, with the help of society, nature, and under different circumstances!!! This is an interesting debate :) Let's see what others have to say!

Diyaa