LEADERS ARE BORN OR MADE

Introduction:
Leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act towards achieving a common
goal. Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an
objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent.
Leadership is the highest form of the art of dealing with people and something more
advanced than management. A leader is a person who carefully balances the needs of the
organization with the needs of its human resources. A leader not only wants the company
to be successful but also wants the people who work for the company to learn, advance,
and prosper. A leader must have a vision for the organization and play a proactive role in
bringing that vision to fruition.
Leaders carry out this process by applying their leadership attributes, such as beliefs,
values, ethics, character, knowledge, and skills. Although your position as a manager,
supervisor, lead, etc. gives you the authority to accomplish certain tasks and objectives in
the organization, this power does not make you a leader, it simply makes you the boss.
Leadership differs in that it makes the followers want to achieve high goals, rather than
simply bossing people around.
The basis of good leadership is honorable character and selfless service to your
organization. For centuries people have debated whether leaders are born or made.
Several decades ago researchers started trying to answer the question. The debate goes
on, even though we know the answer. The leaders acquire the leadership skills after
having been put through the situation in which they have to lead the masses and the skills
of leadership can only be learned through experience.
Leadership is probably the most frequent researched subject in the organization sciences.
Many studies of leadership have been published and many leadership articles have been
written in business-oriented publications and academic journals and books.
In today's industry, we have many managers and supervisors, but few of them are
leaders. A leader is someone others are willing to follow, almost without question.
Leaders are recognized not chosen. Leaders have something within that the others just
don't have. It is an intangible characteristic that can't be explained, but when you see it,
you will recognize it.
The objective of the study is whether the Leaders are Born or Made.

Background / History:

Are leaders born or made? This question has always dominated and still continues to
dominate the leadership study. Although many research papers have been written, little to
no conclusive evidence can be researched; the leadership topic remains elusive.
Influence, authority and many defining characteristics of leaders have been debated for
decades. Are leaders born with these characteristics or not? The overarching reason for
this argument is evident in the crucial nature leadership positions represent in our
communities. Leadership is as old as man. However "The story of leadership begins not
all that long ago in the late 1800s." The resonating question of "Are leaders born or
made" is one of the preeminent discuss in leadership. Over the centuries the continuous
relevance of leadership in families and the organized community has largely made this
question a subject of debate.
Leaders are individuals that have leadership traits and skills and are commonly defined
by some of the following characters visionary, persuasive, influential etc. Hence, the
question of "are leaders born or made" continues to arise and discussed. The different
school of thoughts either supporting "Leaders are born and not made", "Leaders are made
not born" or in between "Leaders are born and not made" all agree on the fundamentals
that certain behavioral characteristics are found in all Leaders. Behavioral characteristics
can be defined as the range of peculiar actions or mannerism someone exhibits. Therefore
it is safe to establish that leaders are defined by certain set of characteristics and
exhibition of these characteristics in a position of management or control is the act of
leading.
Explanation:
Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price
which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.
Vince Lombardi
The age-old question continues to raise its ugly head: Are leaders born to lead, or
are they made?
There is no such thing as a natural ability to lead that exists within some of us while
remaining absent in others. A closer examination of those leaders we often hold in high
regard, those we refer to as role models, will reveal one common characteristic among all
of them. They all have a burning desire to lead, to be influential, motivational, and
take responsibility for themselves and others. What makes these leaders effective is not a
natural ability; it is their desire to lead people, combined with a set of learned skills that
they apply as leaders. The only real ingredient in the leadership recipe that they possessed
when they began leading was desire. They learned the rest of it. The desire to lead was

the motivational ingredient that drove them to lead; the skills they learned along the way
are what allowed them to lead people.
Leaders are Developed: Leadership is nothing more than a collection of skills,
that when employed, produce results.
Leaders create the motivational environment for their followers that cause them to want
to achieve. They are able to easily identify the needs of their followers and direct
them on the pathway to success. Leaders can skillfully strike the balance between
attending to the needs of their followers while accomplishing the tasks required of
them.
Leaders can learn leadership skills in a variety of ways (training, self-study, observing
other leaders) but unless these skills are practiced in realistic and meaningful
experiences they are forgotten.
Contrary to many opinions, leaders do not spring from a genetically determined mold.
They are developed over time with lots of practice.
Conclusion:
All of us are born with one trait in common: potential. Of course there are much
potential, but the key in dealing with potential is the stimulus and environment that brings
it out. We're all born with potential - and we can all develop the traits of leadership.
Leaders can be made through training and provide proper environment. There are many
ways to encourage a leader-based and entrepreneurial environment. First, you must
constantly encourage people to take action. Remember that speaking out is a leadership
characteristic -your encouragement will allow people to challenge the status quo,
innovate old ways of doing things, and to persuade you and others to follow them. In the
same vein, you must persist with ideas that come to you. Finally, you can provide an
environment that promotes informality, both physically and emotionally.
Leaders are definitely made - not born. But the environment will determine whether
potential leaders can develop their talents - and it's your responsibility to provide it. The
made leaders acquire the leadership skills after having been put through the situation in
which they have to lead the masses and the skills of leadership can only be learned
through training and experience.