This morning I was watching the film Gattaca, which is an interesting film about predetermining what people will be, based on their genetics. If you don’t have the right genetics then your life is limited, the main plot of the film is about one man who decided to see whether he can beat this fate by pretending to be someone he is not.
As I watched the film it made me think about the question are leaders born or made?
I have often wondered about this question, and where it came from.
It’s strange that we never ask this question as frequently in other areas of life such as sports or music where the thought that our ability is predetermined by our genetics. For sure we talk about natural talent, but we never ask the question are musicians born or made as frequently as we do in leadership.
Why not? It’s just as likely that if genetics can determine leadership it can determine other areas of life too.
This makes me ask myself why we question leadership so much more than any other area.
Maybe it’s because of the power that comes with leadership. If you look back through history we have always had a class system which included an elite ruling class.
In Rome it was practically impossible to become a leader unless you were born to the right family. It was always the first born son who would follow his father to become king. There was never any testing done to see which son, or daughter, was best suited to the role, it was always the first born.
From this perspective leaders were born not made, but this was by design, it allowed the elite ruling class to remain elite and remain in power.
Maybe this is where the question comes from and it’s more about protecting the position of those in charge than it is about ensuring that we have the best leaders.
I strongly believe that leaders are made, and not born.
It’s true that some of our natural abilities will help, but just as in sport or music where natural talent is a big help, it isn’t a limiting factor, or a deciding factor.
In my opinion Leadership is a skill, and skills can be learnt, and with sufficient practise we can become experts.
So if someone tells you that leaders are born, and not made, ask yourself why they are asking this question, what’s their motive?
Right on, Gordon! I couldn’t agree more about leaders being made.
as much as I like your posts and the information you share every day, I’m afraid I disagree with you. We can change behavior but we cannot change character. Leadership is action (charisma, servant, humblesness) not a position (visionary, transactional, transformational) so you teach someone to be a leader for the moment but you cannot teach a leader how to be charismatic, servant or humble his entire life, so where do you draw the line between a natural born leader and a leader that was made?
Dr Dom, happy for you to disagree, makes the discussion much better. But i don’t think you have convinced me, if leadership is about action, isn’t action about behaviours, and as you say we can change our behaviours. I do believe that the traits we are born with are important, but leadership is a skill which can be learnt or improved. As for charisma there are actually books on how to increase your charisma, and actually some of the things they talk about actually work – of course you need some charisma to start with but with some small changes in behaviour you can really increase the effectiveness of the charisma that you have
Mr. Tredgold, I have to agree with the Dr. You can teach anyone anything if you are a great instructor and the student is willing to learn. For that student to in turn be a leader, he/she must have something to help them exert those traits. Without charisma the student will never be a true or effective leader. Yes you can teach leadership, but it does not make you a leader. By the by I like your information and points even though we don’t agree.
Jeff, check out From Good to Great by Jim Collins, who shows that in business the most successful leaders didn’t all have charisma. btw we don’t have to agree this is why this question rages on and on, because there is no clear cut answer.
I will check out the book. Thanks for the input. I have known many individuals that have been to some really good leaderships seminars and lectures. I have been to many of the same myself. These same people struggle to lead after receiving the instruction. I can only speak of my own experience, but they seem to be lacking something that helps them put into practice these “learned” traits. I have been attributing it to charisma. Maybe it is something else like simple people-skills or some form of an extrovert personality that they are lacking. Maybe its as simple as having a servant’s heart for his/her followers. What ever the case something is definitely missing from their equation.
I have witnessed some with head knowledge and some with natural abilities and knowledge. The natural born to lead always seems to have the advantage and they stand out. Naturals seem to be at ease and they have fun while doing what the task even the impossible are easily attained. I agree that depending on the situation and what availability some without given natural abilities lead in areas.. So its a subject that will look one way or they other being better just depends.