Are Great Leaders Born ... or Made?

A CEO recently asked me if I thought that great leaders were born or could be developed through training and experience.This is a pretty loaded question to someone involved in Leadership Development and Training!  

This is interesting though, because I’ve worked for some incredibly inspirational  leaders and others who were completely out of their depth. Obviously personality plays a part, so what parallels can we draw from the  nature versus nurture debate, which is one of the oldest issues in psychology.

The debate has raged for centuries on the relative importance of genetic inheritance and environmental factors on human development. 

Great thinkers like Plato and Descartes suggested that certain things are inborn, or they occur naturally regardless of environmental influences. Others like John Locke believed in what is known as “Tabula rasa” which is a Latin term that roughly into ‘blank slate’ and it believes that personality and social development comes from experience and perception. 

Both schools of thought were partly right because today we believe that both have an influence. There are many examples of people who come from poor, disadvantaged backgrounds and still achieve great things.

What we do know is that great leaders create the right lens through which to view the world. They see things differently and this allows them to motivate others to see the same thing. They help the team see the ultimate goal and then challenge their brightest people to build strategies to get there.

There are many examples from famous explorers who ventured where no-one else had been to inventors and businesspeople who changed the world and created entire industries. But they didn’t do it alone. They had collaborators, supporters and stakeholders who also believed in their vision of what was possible.

So my answer to the CEO was that whilst I do believe that good leaders are born, truly great leaders study and emulate the best. She shared my view but that's just our opinion, what do you think?

What is leadership really about?

Leadership is one of the most used words in the business world today because most people are aware of how vital great leadership is to the success of any organisation. But what is the essence of great leadership ?

That's a question I posed to Mike Shinton, Director at Ithaka Leadership Development. Mike worked for many years in a global pharmaceutical company, so he saw at first hand the profound difference that leadership has on an organisation. 

Mike said, "I believe leadership is essentially simple. It’s all about people, and getting the best out of everyone within an organisation.

They model the attitudes and behaviours that they want everyone within their organisation to adopt, thereby creating a culture where employees can thrive and grow and be the best that they can be. They do not seek power, but they take responsibility. They use their positional power to empower others. 



" Great leadership is not about lighting a fire under people, it’s about lighting a fire within them."

They also create a compelling vision for the future, a vision that inspires and excites others to join them on the journey. They communicate this vision loud and often, and invite contributions from all, in the knowledge that real success comes from everyone pulling in the same direction, and feeling that they are a vital part of the team.

They also challenge the status quo. They constantly strive to look for better ways to do things, to implement positive change within their organisations, to improve process, efficiency, and the bottom line. But they don’t challenge in isolation. They are also very happy to be challenged, and will always listen to the thoughts and ideas from others, whatever their position.

One of the most forgotten attributes of great leaders is also in my opinion one of the most important – support. Great leaders will support their staff to do their work more effectively. They will enable them rather than get in the way, and then stand back and give their trust that the job will be done well.

Finally, for this article anyway, great leaders will always recognise the good things that their teams do. They will recognise in a way that is appropriate for the individual or team, and encourage them to do more of what they are doing. Most people go to work to do a good job, and to make a positive contribution. Just a simple pat on the back and “well done” can be so important.

Leadership is the engine that drives any organisation. Great leadership provides the power and acceleration to put an organisation firmly and securely on the winner’s rostrum. And that's what it really should be all about."

(Mike Shinton is a Director at Ithaka Leadership Development)