Are Leaders Born or Made?

This essay delves into the long-standing debate of whether leaders are born with innate qualities or developed through experience and learning. It presents arguments from both sides, citing psychological studies that suggest inherent leadership traits and philosophical viewpoints that emphasize the importance of experience and continuous learning. The essay explores the influence of factors like personality, cognitive skills, and environmental factors on leadership development. It concludes that effective leadership requires a combination of both inborn skills and acquired knowledge, highlighting the need for a balanced approach to leadership development.

Leaders are born not made is the quote which is identified as the most controversial quote from
past many years. To manage the issues, various ideas and approaches are identified in a definite
manner. In fact, various writers and authors have their different point of views about the quote
that “whether the leaders are born or they are made”. According to the personal views of the
authors, it is intimated that the leaders can be born with the intelligence and remarkably process,
but growth can only be highlighted when continuous process of learning is identified. To manage
suitable aspects with evidences, this precise essay is defined. This piece of work is helpful in
highlighting major aspects related to the leaders and also assists in defining traits related to the
leadership. The essay shown below mainly covers two sections. The main section is identified as
the middle section in which discussion on the controversial quote is highlighted. In this essay,
the points have been argued in favor as well as against the peculiar topic. The last section is the
conclusion section which aids in defining the final section or summary of the complete essay.
To understand the quote completely, it is essential to identify the concept of leadership and
leaders in a separate manner. According to the scientific researches, definite type of research is
conducted on the leaders. There is psychological, neurological and other different type of
methods implemented on the candidates to identify a defining aspect of processing. Some
researches define that it is an inborn feature and other states that the leaders can be identified
with the help of experience. So, the conclusion section of scientific research is still incomplete.
The clarification of the quote is divided into two sections, one is identified in the favor of quote
and another one is against the quote (Avolio & Gardner, 2005).
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According to psychological studies the leaders are born. Those who are born as leaders, they
have their specific activities of pre-frontal and frontal lobes. The born leaders also possess the
practical approach to analyze the situation specifically. They possess cognitive approach and
definite set of skills to manage scenario in the organization. The born leaders are always
successful and implement the innovative thought processing system among the team members.
Apart from this, the definite personality traits and specific identification are helpful for the
managers being destine leaders in every possible manner (Stephenson, 2004). The hereditary
aspects and special features make the person a born leader. The researchers also define that
generally the leaders show their improvement in personality traits, while they are in the age
group of 7-14. They can also able to reflect the leadership among the groups and definite circle.
This will enhance their leadership skills when they reach to the definite type of leadership stage
(Locke, 2014). The born leaders are influenced by the socio- economic, environmental and
educational factors. All these factors simultaneously create a suitable impact on the working
aspects and methods related to the leaders. There are various political parties, big organizations
and business which are working from past various years. The generations are identified as the
born leaders. The skills and promotional strategy are improved and dignified in the generations
by itself. By identifying these comments, it is considered that the leaders are born not made
(Giulio, 2015).
Discarding the views of researchers who are supporting that leaders are born, some philosophers
have a thought that leaders and leadership can be considered as the matter of personality. The
personality can able to reflect the commanding skills of leaders, which can further help in
managing procedure related to the organization. The continuous experience and manageable
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attitude are major aspects related to the leaders. The past experiences and earning procedure
specifically from the leaders, define that they are identified as the person who learn from various
different sources and other experienced people (Amerland, 2014). The learning phase of the
leaders is everlasting and continuously growing. The history also reveals that Nelson Mandela
(Famous prisoner) and Richard Barson (Entrepreneur) are the best examples to show that the
leaders are made from definite experience and learning. Both these personalities have different
personality and definite areas of specialization. In fact, they struggle a lot to get success in their
objectives (Bass, 2000). The patience and pursuing the nature of both the leaders towards goals,
make them good leaders. The grooming of a person as a leader can only be possible when they
can able to focus on both negative and positive aspects related to the situation. The factors like
self- regulation, self-discipline, controlling of emotions and management of the specific process
assists in providing positive feedback in a definite mode. The different experience in the history
is also helpful in setting the best example for the new leaders or beginners in the organizations.
Some of the people like Gates achieve leadership by his workaholic nature, similarly Martha got
success by applying the most innovative and applicable methods for leadership. The leadership is
also considered as the matter of working structure. The most specific working structure will also
help in enhancing the qualities of leaders in a definite way (Illinois, 2014).
The everlasting debate for the quote is continuous. The specific reasons for quote are not
clarified yet. Some of the researchers provide positive feedback and others still having negative
or against views for the quote. The debate is ongoing and everlasting with defined set of
information (ACES, 2014). The only feedback which can be generated from the above written
essay is that the information and experience are required for both the perspectives. It is essential
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to grab the experience on a definite level. The management can only be successfully handled
when both the developed or inborn skills of leaders and learning skills can coordinate in a
framed manner. The simultaneous working structure assists in providing the feedback in a
possible manner.
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References
ACES. (2014, October 06). Are leaders born or made? New study shows how leadership
develops . Retrieved from http://news.aces.illinois.edu/news/are-leaders-born-or-made-
new-study-shows-how-leadership-develops
Amerland, D. (2014, January). Are Leaders Born Or Made? (And How To Be One). Retrieved
from https://www.forbes.com/sites/netapp/2014/01/09/are-leaders-born-or-made/
#2ac28c65677f
Avolio, B., & Gardner, W. (2005, June). Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root
of positive forms of leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(3), 315–338. Retrieved
from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1048984305000263
Bass, B. (2000). The Future of Leadership in Learning Organizations. Journal of Leadership &
Organizational, 7(18), 1-24. Retrieved from
https://www.essr.net/~jafundo/mestrado_material_itgjkhnld/IV/Lideran%C3%A7as/
Leadership%20in%20Learning%20Orgns.pdf
Giulio, J. (2015, January). Are leaders born or made? . Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270684591_Are_leaders_born_or_made
Illinois, U. o. (2014, October). Are leaders born or made? New study shows how leadership
develops. Retrieved from
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141006133228.htm
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Locke, C. (2014, March). Asking Whether Leaders Are Born or Made Is the Wrong Question.
Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2014/03/asking-whether-leaders-are-born-or-made-is-the-
wrong-question
Stephenson, C. (2004, December). Are leaders born or made. IVEY Business journal. Retrieved
from http://iveybusinessjournal.com/publication/are-leaders-born-or-made/
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