are leaders born or made essay pdf

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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 .

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5 Are Leaders Born or Made?

• Published: January 2014
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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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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.

• “Shame” By Dick Gregory: What Does Gregory Mean by Shame?
• Nelson Mandela’s Speech from the Dock
• Nelson Mandela “Freedom in Africa”
• Northway Lodges Limited Management
• Trade Unions in US
• Vertical Integration in Management Styles
• Unions and a Strong Middle Class
• Outsourcing and Its Effects
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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

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

IvyPanda . (2020) 'Leaders are Made, Not Born: Examples and Debate Points Essay'. 7 May.

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/.

Bibliography

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

• Published May 30, 2020
• 7 Minute Read

Are Leaders Born or Made?

Perspectives From the Executive Suite

Do you think a leader should be a hero or a negotiator? Out in front leading people or behind the scenes, coordinating the work of the group? Are people destined to become leaders, or can leadership skills be developed? Are leaders born or made?

The way we think about leadership affects how we perceive the leaders around us. For instance, if we expect a leader to be a hero, we are likely to see someone who takes charge to save the day as having the  characteristics of a good leader , and someone who asks everyone’s opinions and lets the group make decisions as weak.

Alternatively, if we think a leader should be collaborative and focused on making sure decisions arise from the group, we would view someone who’s directive as aggressive or a tyrant.

In the same way, our beliefs about how people become leaders affect how we evaluate people’s leadership potential. Believing people are born leaders is likely to result in a focus more on selection (identifying the right people) rather than on development (developing the people you have).

On the other hand, believing that people are made into leaders by their experiences would be more likely to result in a greater focus on making sure people had the right opportunities to develop into leaders.

The Impact of Genes on Leadership

For scientists, one key challenge to answering the question “Are leaders born or made?” is that each individual’s growth trajectory is influenced by many factors.  The Minnesota twin studies  have been designed to tackle this challenge.

By comparing identical twins (who share 100% of their genes) and fraternal twins (who share 50% of their genes, on average), researchers reported that genetic factors explained about 30% of individual differences in whether people hold leadership positions in the workplace. However, it’s worth noting that environmental factors, especially work experiences, are substantially important in determining leadership.

Further studies have been conducted to identify specific DNA markers that may be involved in genetic influences on leadership.  One study  examined how a dopamine transporter gene, DAT1, was involved in genetic influences on leadership role occupancy. Researchers found that on one hand, individuals with this gene were more likely to demonstrate moderate rule-breaking behaviors, which is important for becoming a leader.

(Think about some successful business leaders of the century — Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, and Jack Welch — they started demonstrating “rule-breaking” behaviors in their early ages, and later on, they dared to transform the rules and became leaders of the industry.)

On the other hand, this gene was also associated with a lack of planning, self-control, and perseverance, which are also important leadership competencies. The findings suggest that whether individuals with this gene become leaders or not depends on other factors such as the environment. For instance, if families and organizations provide safe environments to encourage individuals’ innovative behaviors while also encouraging self-regulation, the overall influences of the gene might become positive, and individuals are likely to take up leadership positions.

So, what is the implication of these scientific findings?

Scientific research confirms that it’s the joint influences of both nature and nurture that play important roles. In fact, the data showed that environmental factors weigh heavier in influencing individuals’ leadership journeys.

The implication for most of us is that leadership can be practiced and learned.

Parents, trainers, organizations, and educators should create a learning environment where developmental opportunities are provided to allow individuals to grow as leaders  and fully realize their leadership potential.

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Do Leaders at Your Organization Believe That Leaders Are Born or Made?

Understanding whether people in your organization think leaders are born or made is critical because these attitudes play out in recruiting, promotion, and development decisions.

Will your organization spend resources on finding people believed to be born leaders, or on developing people into becoming leaders? Will executives emphasize the selection of talent and only invest in those who they believe have leadership potential? Or will they see value in developing the leadership skills of a broad group of people?

The stance of senior executives on the question of whether leaders are born or made may influence the entire culture of your organization and the way leaders are developed.

For instance, if your CEO or executive team believes leaders are more born, they may focus more on selection. Organizational development may tend to have early identification programs for high potentials, in combination with on-the-job stretch assignments to develop certain leaders.

On the other hand, if your CEO or executive team believes that leaders are more made, a broad-based leadership development strategy may be well received, and expected, by leaders up and down the organization.

Top leaders set the tone for the development of others within their organization, so understanding their views can inform talent identification and development strategies.

Our Research Explores the Question: Are Leaders Born or Made?

We  conducted research  on this question, asking 361 C-level executives “Are leaders born or made?”

We found that their views were decidedly mixed:

• 19% believed that leaders are more born,
• 52% believed they are more made, and
• 29% believed that leaders are about equally born and made.

This distribution suggests that executives don’t really agree on whether leaders are born or made. And neither do leadership scholars — the selection vs. development debate is strong, as arguments for both sides continue to emerge.

We also found that “Born Believers” and “Made Believers” may think a little differently about what creates a leader.

Born Believers place substantially more importance on leader traits than do Made Believers and believe that traits are slightly more important than are experiences.

In contrast, Made Believers believe that experiences are substantially more important than are leader traits (though both agree that experience is important).

Development Is Important, Regardless of Whether Leaders Are Born or Made

Our results indicate that there is little difference in how Borns and Mades at the tops of organizations feel about the availability of learning opportunities within their organizations.

Specifically, 82% of Borns and 89% of Mades believe that their organizations value employee learning and development opportunities. Additionally, 84% of Borns and 82% of Mades believe that learning and developmental resources are available to them in their organizations.

Apparently, even when top executives believe that leaders are more born than they are made, they also believe that learning from experience is important for development . The difference is focus .

Borns are likely to think that organizations should be very selective in who gets developmental opportunities, offering them only to those the leaders believe are most likely to benefit from them.

Improving the Leadership Pipeline

Regardless of how you answer the question “Are leaders born or made?”  you can continue to improve your organization’s leadership bench strength by providing your team with access to varied developmental experiences.

When you make sure that your people have adequate access to developmental experiences, coaching, mentoring, training, and other leadership experiences, they have the opportunity to learn and become better leaders. Whether these experiences draw out and boost natural abilities or create new leadership skills may be debated — but either way, the organization benefits.

Organizations can also benefit in other ways when they provide more general support for development. Access to development has been shown to increase employees’ job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and performance. Conversely, the absence of support and development opportunities makes employees want to leave .

In conclusion, as long as there are leaders, people are going to wonder — are leaders born or made?

But overwhelmingly, our research found, executives agree that people become leaders, in large part, as a result of experiences that help them learn how to lead.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Whether leaders are born or made, your organization will want to offer talent development to your people. We’d love to partner with you to craft impactful, individualized leadership development for your leaders at all levels.

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Based on Research by

Bill’s research at CCL focused on examining what leaders, particularly first-time managers, can do to be successful in their work and life, and to avoid derailment. He’s the author of Be the Boss Everyone Wants to Work For: A Guide for New Leaders and co-author of the guidebook Developing Political Savvy .

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Point/Counterpoint: Are Outstanding Leaders Born or Made?

Marjan boerma.

a University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Little Rock, Arkansas

Elizabeth A. Coyle

b University of Houston College of Pharmacy, Houston, Texas

Michael A. Dietrich

c Midwestern University College of Pharmacy – Glendale, Glendale, Arizona

Matthew R. Dintzner

d Western New England University, College of Pharmacy, Springfield, Massachusetts

Shannon J. Drayton

e Medical University of South Carolina, College of Pharmacy, Charleston, South Carolina

Johnnie L. Early, II

f The University of Toledo, College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toledo, Ohio

Andrea N. Edginton

g School of Pharmacy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Cheryl K. Horlen

h University of the Incarnate Word, Feik School of Pharmacy, San Antonio, Texas

Cynthia K. Kirkwood

i Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Pharmacy, Richmond, Virginia

Anne Y.F. Lin

j Notre Dame of Maryland University, College of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland

Michelle L. Rager

k Shenandoah University, Bernard J Dunn School of Pharmacy, Winchester, Virginia

Bijal Shah-Manek

l Touro University - California, College of Pharmacy, Vallejo, California

Adam C. Welch

m East Tennessee State University, Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, Johnson City, Tennessee

Nancy Toedter Williams

n Southwestern Oklahoma State University College of Pharmacy, Weatherford, Oklahoma

The question of whether outstanding leaders are born or made has been debated for years. There are numerous examples of historical figures that came naturally to leadership, while others developed their leadership skills through tenacity and experience. To understand leadership, both nature (the genetic component) and nurture (the environmental influences) must be considered. This article represents the work of two Academic Leadership Fellows Program groups who debated each position at the 2016 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Interim Meeting in Tampa, Fla., in February 2016.

INTRODUCTION

According to R. M. Stogdill’s Handbook of Leadership , “There are almost as many different definitions of leadership as there are persons who have attempted to define the concept.” 1 While there is no standard definition of leader, there are many different kinds of leadership that exist in today’s environment. When thinking about outstanding leaders, whether present day or historical, one may question how they became such a notable leader. Were they born this way or were they taught to lead? The Great Man Theory, popularized in the 1840s by Thomas Carlyle, suggested that leadership traits are intrinsic, meaning that great leaders are born and will emerge when confronted with the appropriate situation. 2 These individuals possess certain qualities and talents, such as deep honesty, moral vision, compassion and care, that make them well-suited for leadership. 3 On the contrary, organizations invest much time and money to help their employees develop leadership skills based on the assumption that leaders can be trained. In fact, US companies spend approximately $14 billion each year on this training, and higher education offers a multitude of degree courses pertaining to leadership. 4 This suggests that leadership itself is a skill that may be learned (ie, extrinsically fostered). This article will examine and provide further perspective on the much debated question: are the foundations of outstanding leadership intrinsic (ie, leaders are born) or extrinsic (ie, leaders are made)?

The purpose of a debate is to search for the truth, or perhaps the best answer, by comparing or contrasting ideas. 5 The structure of a debate can be simplified into three components: the claim, the warrant, and the impact. The claim provides the position that the debater would like to instill upon the audience. Outstanding leaders are born, or made, is the claim. The warrant justifies the claim, either by evidence, or with external opinion. The impact places the claim into perspective and suggests why the audience should be interested. All three components (claim, warrant, and impact) are necessary for a complete argument. 5 The structure of the debate follows a point/counterpoint format, where one side provides an argument, followed by a rebuttal from the other side. The opportunity for targeted questions and answers between debaters also occurs during a typical debate. 5

For this debate, two Academic Leadership Fellows Program (ALFP) groups drew a position at random. The position drawn may not have necessarily represented the personal views of the ALFP group members. Research by each group member involved literature review of primary sources, expert opinion, and historical references. Regardless of the position drawn, each group researched both positions, as opposing research prepares a debater for potential counter-arguments. Sources included Google Scholar, PubMed, ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center), and broad-based Internet searching for known leaders.

After extensive research, each ALFP group began preparing and practicing specific remarks for their position. Preparation involved mock debate sessions that were closely timed. Certain group members posed as the opposing group to better mimic a real debate. The entire preparation process, from research to debate, extended over several months and involved several group meetings, both live and virtual. The culmination was a debate presented at the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Interim Meeting in Tampa, Fla., in February 2016.

POINT: LEADERS ARE BORN

The role of genetics in leadership.

Over the past three decades, numerous twin studies have been conducted evaluating the heritability of leadership. 6-10 Twin studies provide a good assessment of born and made leadership in that each twin serves as a control for the other. Identical or monozygotic twins who share 100% of their genetic material can be compared to fraternal or dizygotic twins who share 50% of their genetic material to evaluate both genetic and environmental influences on leadership. Data from twin studies have consistently shown that leadership has a substantial degree of genetic basis. 6,7,9 These studies have used a variety of methodologies including questionnaires and mathematical models to evaluate the genetic and shared or unique environmental experiences of twins in leadership roles. A majority of twin studies demonstrate moderate genetic contributions for personality traits of leaders, with an overall relative influence of a genetic relationship for leadership of up to 30%. 7,10 In fact, in a study by DeNeve and colleagues evaluating what traits determine leadership role occupancy, the shared environment of the twins was not significant with only a 10% correlation; whereas, the genetic component was found to be 24%. 7 Overall, twin studies have consistently demonstrated a genetic component to leadership.

In particular, DeNeve and colleagues demonstrate that leadership role occupancy may be associated with the rs4950 genetic marker, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that resides on the neuronal acetylcholine receptor gene on chromosome 8. 7 The neuronal acetylcholine receptor gene can be related to personality traits, suggesting a link between leadership role occupancy and personality traits. 7 Indeed, personality traits were considered in the book, Good to Great , where a level 5 (highest) leader often possesses traits such as personal humility and professional will. 11 It follows that a favorable genetic background sets outstanding leaders apart from the rest.

In practice, we can reference historical examples of twins who have demonstrated notable leadership. Identical twins Mark and Scott Kelly, NASA astronauts as well as retired US Navy captains, have both led great discoveries in space. 12 Julian and Joaquin Castro are identical twins from Texas. Julian served as the US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development from 2014 to 2017 and Joaquin is currently a US congressman. 13 Examining twins aids in the understanding of how genes lay the groundwork for leadership. The twins are born with potential and the ability to emerge as leaders if the genetic leadership traits are fostered in the right environment.

The evidence consistently shows a genetic component to leadership. As a result, leaders are born, not made.

Leaders and Followers

We can look to nature to argue that one can be taught to follow, but not to lead. The concept of leadership exists throughout the animal kingdom, and animal models are commonly used to study leadership behavior. 14 The three-spined stickleback fish, for example, serves as a model species for research on personality and social behavior. Individual fish show large differences in the extent in which they emerge from covered areas to explore their environment. Some fish are bold and act as leaders, while others are shy and prefer to follow those that lead. 15,16 To determine how individuals may cope with a forced change in their leadership/follower role, Nakayama and colleagues formed pairs of stickleback fish, each consisting of a member that had shown natural leadership behavior and a member that had naturally taken on a follower role. 15 The followers were rewarded with a small amount of food each time they showed initiative, while the bolder fish received the same reward only when they followed the shyer member of the pair. The resulting behavioral patterns were compared with those resulting from fish being rewarded for showing their natural tendency to lead or follow. While the positive reinforcement helped both leaders and followers to show significantly more follower behavior, the increase in leader behavior was less significant. Moreover, when the fish were forced to swap roles, the overall performance of the pairs, as measured by the amount of food they were able to collect together, was reduced. 17 Altogether, the investigators concluded that fish can learn to follow but struggle to take on a leadership role. If we extend this into human leadership behavior, it may indicate that leadership is mostly born.

COUNTERPOINT: LEADERS ARE MADE

Arguments for the claim that leaders are born should not be supported because (1) there are statistical flaws in the twin studies evaluating leadership; (2) numerous examples exist of historical figures devoid of a family history of leaders; (3) individuals can learn the skills to be an outstanding leader through life experiences and leadership development programs. There has yet to be research to identify one single trait or mix of traits that is found in all leaders. Warren Bennis, author of the book On Becoming a Leader , identifies several characteristics that leaders share: a guiding vision, passion that provides hope and inspires others, integrity (which encompasses candor, maturity and self-knowledge), curiosity, and the willingness to take risks. 18 These are not traits that individuals are born with and cannot change, but rather traits that are developed as a result of life experiences. According to Bennis, “Developing character and vision is the way leaders invent themselves.” 18 Leaders embrace opportunities, engage in skill development, and respond to a set of external circumstances.

There is a lack of experimentation in humans on this issue, so researchers have relied heavily on statistical analysis of variance between pairs of twins to estimate the extent to which differences between the pairs correlate with genetic or environmental factors. The accumulated results of twin studies have consistently estimated the genetic component of leadership role occupancy at only 30% while estimating environmental influence at 70%. 10,19,20 Even more recent studies in molecular genetics have estimated the heritability of leadership at only 24% by demonstrating an association between leadership role occupancy and the rs4950 genotype. 7 Simply having occupancy in a leadership role does not assume that the person is an outstanding leader.

Twin studies also make significant assumptions that limit their validity, such as the equal environment assumption (EEA), which assumes identical and fraternal twin pairs grow up experiencing roughly equal environments. 21 Every person has slightly different perceptions of the world, and they see, hear, and internalize their environment to a different extent. Furthermore, results from twin studies cannot be directly generalized because they do not represent a random sample of the general population. While twin studies and molecular genetics have provided some indirect evidence in the form of statistical correlations or associations with self-reported leadership occupancy, these same studies also conclude that leadership is complex and that it is formed much more significantly by a person’s environment. 7 That is, leadership is not something we are simply born with like blue eyes or red hair. Leaders, especially outstanding leaders, are developed over time through hard work and lived experiences.

Historical Examples

Genetics logic would suggest that outstanding leaders are born to parents who are also leaders. Developing leadership skills through deliberate practice would be unnecessary for outstanding leaders. Both are false, and several historical examples support this statement.

Walt Disney came from humble beginnings and grew up in a home with his unassuming home-maker mother, his entrepreneurial father who failed at most business schemes in which he ventured, and four mostly ordinary siblings. His strict and aloof father disapproved of Walt’s creative leanings and actively forbid his participation in related events. Despite all of this, Walt succeeded, at the age of 29, with Mickey Mouse. He emerged, through perseverance, learning from mistakes and development of his skills to rally a team around an idea, as a pioneer in the field of animation. 22

Another example of an exceptional leader being made despite a less than leader-like pedigree is John D. Rockefeller Sr., the richest American in history. 23 His father was a “snake oil” salesman and bigamist who abandoned his family when John was just a small boy. Despite this “pedigree,” John created and grew Standard Oil, the largest oil refiner in the world, during the turn of the 20th century. 23 Rockefeller established his immense wealth slowly and deliberately, through success and failure, not through a predetermined set of innate leadership abilities.

In addition to Disney and Rockefeller, President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Roman Emperor Claudius Caesar Augustus are two further examples of outstanding leaders from a less than outstanding parental pedigree. 24-26 These leaders were mentored, learned from their environment, and developed through time and experience.

Leadership Industry

It has been demonstrated that it takes thousands of hours of deliberate practice to acquire mastery of skill. Research by Ericsson and colleagues in 1993 demonstrated that deliberate practice was responsible for 80% of the difference in outcomes between elite musicians and committed amateurs. 27 While the probability of succeeding at a high level is relatively low without some talent, the small role for talent is overshadowed by the larger role that preparation seems to play. Walt Disney spent 10 years learning and practicing his leadership skills following a first failed business attempt and ultimately went on to transform the entertainment industry. Leaders can indeed be developed, and leadership can be taught and practiced. Even AACP supports leadership development through various resources and programming, particularly the ALFP program to which the authors are participating.

Billions of dollars are spent yearly by corporations seeking to have their employees develop leadership skills. Leadership development is not a single activity, but rather a set of activities that typically occur over a period of time (ie, several years). Each leadership development activity may contribute to leadership capacity of the individual, of the group, or of the organization. 28

Are leaders born or made? Each ALFP group member, excluding the two leadership facilitators, provided his/her brief opinion on this topic, which is summarized in Table 1 . Consistent themes are noted when reading these statements. The group debating that leaders are born argue that certain innate traits are needed in order to develop into an outstanding leader when life experiences and circumstances present themselves. The group debating that leaders are made argue that training, hard work, and experiences result in the development of outstanding leaders. The answer is likely not just one viewpoint or the other, but rather a combination of both. There is evidence to support a 30% genetic component to being in a leadership role. 7 The genetic evidence, however, largely uses indirect outcomes, such as self-reported leadership role occupancy, which makes no claim to the aptness of leader within that role. Further, studies from nature support that some fish could learn to follow, but were less likely to learn to lead. 14 The translational ability of such a study from fish to humans is not yet demonstrated.

Authors’ Opinions on Outstanding Leaders Debate

Historical examples exist to support both a genetic and environmental component to leadership. Whether an evidence-based endeavor or a financial opportunity, the leadership industry exceeds $14 billion annually and is purportedly committed to making leaders. Leaders most likely arise from a combination of genetic predisposition as well as development through reactions to environmental factors.

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Are leaders born or made.

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Napoleon Bonaparte once said, "Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever." But what is it about human nature that destines some people, like Napoleon, for glory? Is the ability to lead, achieve, and even change the world something that people are born with? Or, is becoming a successful leader something that is acquired over time?

New research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology sheds new light on this age-old question. Researchers at the University of Houston, the University of Illinois, and the University of Tübingen in Germany compared personality test results of 1,795 individuals who first completed a personality test in 1960 (at age 16), and then again in 2010 (at age 66).

The scientists examined 10 facets of personality, one of which was leadership. The thought was this: if leaders are, in fact, born , participants' personality test results at age 16 and 66 should be relatively consistent. However, if leaders are made , participants should, theoretically, exhibit a sizable increase in self-reported leadership over the 50-year time horizon.

To assess the personality dimension of leadership, participants were asked to indicate their level of agreement with the following statements: (1) "I am the leader in my group," (2) "I am influential," (3) "I have held a lot of elected offices," (4) "People naturally follow my lead," and (5) "I like to make decisions."

Here's what they found. A large majority of participants, 79% to be exact, showed no difference in self-reported leadership across the 50-year time horizon. In other words, almost 80% of people held the same opinion of themselves as a leader at age 16 that they did at age 66. 17% of individuals reported an increase in leadership while 4% reported a decrease.

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These numbers may not mean much by themselves, but they speak volumes about the nature of leadership when compared to the other nine personality dimensions tested. It turns out that, of the 10 personality dimensions tested, the leadership dimension was most likely to remain consistent across the lifespan. For instance, the personality traits of social sensitivity, tidiness, self-confidence, and calmness all show less than 55% similitude when comparing participants' 1960 and 2010 results (and an average increase of 42%). In relation to other personality traits, leadership, it appears, is strikingly resilient to change across the lifespan.

Returning to the question of whether leaders are born or made, this study suggests that the "nativist" argument — that leaders are born, not made — is more likely to be the case. Of course, that's not to say that there aren't multiple paths to becoming a great leader. Perhaps Shakespeare came closest to the truth when he said, "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them."

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Are leaders born or made, the classic argument – nurture or nature – is well represented in leader development philosophies everywhere. we would all agree that some people are “born leaders,” but is it really that simple.

Malcolm Webber

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