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Great Leaders Are Made, Not Born

• Marshall Goldsmith

Are leaders born or made? This is one of the most frequently asked questions in all leadership development. To begin with, let’s start with a definition of “leader.” My friend and mentor, Dr. Paul Hersey, defines leadership as “working with and through others to achieve objectives.” Given this definition, anyone in a position whose achievement […]

Are leaders born or made?

• MG Marshall Goldsmith is recognized as one of the world’s leading executive educators and coaches. Dr. Goldsmith’s 30 books include What Got You Here Won’t Get You There and MOJO .

Partner Center

Are Leaders Born or Made?

“Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work.” These immortal words come from Hall of Fame football coach Vince Lombardi. In this quote, the belief that true leadership comes through experience, determination, and passion surfaces. Others will contend, however, that many leaders are born with leadership characteristics. These “natural-born leaders,” as they’re sometimes called, rise to the occasion because that’s just who they are.

What Does Science Say About It?

Leadership traits and how to develop them, 1. accepting responsibility, how to accept responsibility, 2. constant learning.

Some of the world’s most prominent business leaders have a reputation for wanting to learn all the time.  Jan Koum , the co-founder and former CEO of WhatsApp, lived in extreme poverty in Ukraine before moving to the U.S. where he faced even more difficulties. However, his desire to learn never faded. After only two years in the United States, Koum taught himself computer programming. He even joined a hacking group so he could learn all about cybersecurity, scalability, and networking. All of this hands-on learning would eventually pay off, and today, Koum has a net worth of almost $10 billion.

How to Keep Learning

3. motivating to action, how to motivate others, 4. adapting to changes.

No matter the industry, change always happens. Effective leaders can adapt to those changes. They see change as an opportunity to grow and learn. They never take the more pessimistic route and think of change as bad. If anything, they view it all as a challenge to overcome and help other people see it that way, as well.

How to Adapt

5. showing empathy.

Most people tend to think of great leaders as excellent public speakers and outgoing personalities. While it’s true charisma plays a role in developing followers, that doesn’t mean only extroverts make great leaders. Introverts can be leaders too because much of leadership boils down to how much  emotional intelligence a person has.

How to Show Empathy

Leadership demands work.

While some may still argue that natural-born leaders exist, effective leadership still requires work. This indicates that leadership development is something you must do to gain the skills needed for your position. Thinking that true leadership comes from those born with it means only a select few would technically be ready to lead. As Warren G. Bennis notes, “The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born—that there is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.”

Leaders are Made, Not Born: Examples and Debate Points Essay

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Leaders Are Made, not Born Introduction

Leaders are made, not born: debate points, leaders are made, not born conclusion.

According to Gregory (2009), a leader is an individual who has the capacity and desire to inspire and influence his or her subjects. There has been a lot of debate on whether a leader is born or made. Some people believe that a great leader has some inborn attributes, while others are confident that leadership abilities, just like other skills, can be learned with time. It is vital to agree that leadership is a vital provision; nonetheless, great leaders are not born with their abilities, they are made.

First, most leaders neither carry forward their legacy nor do their backgrounds suggest they can make good leaders. For example, children of great leaders do not necessarily become leaders. This shows that leadership skills are not hereditary traits but skills learned through many processes. In the global arena, Obama’s parents were never leaders; however, their son (Barrack Obama) has managed to nurture his leadership skills to lead the greatest nation in the world. In this context, the greatest leaders are not born. They are made as indicated earlier.

Usually, it starts with a personal decision to become a leader. However, there are certain attributes that constitute good leadership abilities that are inborn. One such attribute is intelligence. A leader should be intelligent enough to make the right decisions in any kind of situation. For example, Nelson Mandela of South Africa managed to nurture his leadership skills.

Generally, leadership skills are hardly hereditary abilities. An individual who eventually becomes a great leader undergoes many learning processes. They study other leaders, try to imitate their conduct, and select their role models. Most American leaders have chosen Abraham Lincoln as their role model due to his intelligence and leadership prowess (Pace, 2006). Of course, great leaders can falter; however, they can improve their skills with the feedback they get from different people. This helps them develop into great leaders since they are able to transform their behaviors for the better (Gill, 2012).

It is vital to agree that most great leaders are not born with abilities and legendary leadership skills. Prominent leaders like Barrack Obama have struggled for ages to attain their status quo and nurture their leadership skills. In order to become a great leader, one has to develop interest, endure, listen to mentors, and transform appropriately. One does not need to be born a leader so as to lead appropriately.

Gill, R. (2012). Theory and Practice of Leadership . Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publishers

Gregory, A. (2009). Great leaders are born or made ?

Pace, J. (2006). Professional development series: Books 1-4. Boston: McGraw Hill.

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IvyPanda. (2020, May 7). Leaders are Made, Not Born: Examples and Debate Points Essay. https://ivypanda.com/essays/greatest-leaders-are-made-not-born/

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IvyPanda . 2020. "Leaders are Made, Not Born: Examples and Debate Points Essay." May 7, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/greatest-leaders-are-made-not-born/.

1. IvyPanda . "Leaders are Made, Not Born: Examples and Debate Points Essay." May 7, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/greatest-leaders-are-made-not-born/.

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5 Are Leaders Born or Made?

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Whether leadership is “born or made” has long intrigued theorists, management practitioners and the lay public. While many believe that leadership in iconic figures such as Nelson Mandela must surely be something he was born with, the chapter opens with a study of his early life, effectively demonstrating the complexity of the issue. The effects of exposure to adversity early in one’s life, and social, family and non-familial influences on the later development of leadership, are discussed. Some of the most interesting and provocative recent research findings have shown that genetic factors are also implicated in the question of who emerges as a leader, and on leadership behaviors. While most of this research focuses on high quality leadership, the role of family influences in the development of destructive leadership has also been identified

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Home / Essay Samples / Business / Effective Leadership / Are Leaders Born or Made

Are Leaders Born or Made

• Category: Business
• Topic: Effective Leadership , Leadership , Leadership and Management

Pages: 2 (897 words)

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