Leaders: Born or Made?

Lead-in

1. Work in groups of three or four. Each member of the group should choose a famous leader, either living or dead. Follow the instructions to share and find out something new about leaders.

First, members should say briefly:

a) what the leader achieved

b) what qualities and abilities the leader has (or had)

c) whether group members think the person they chose was an effective leader.

Then, the group should discuss the following questions.

1. Do the leaders you have described have any common characteristics, e.g. similar qualities, abilities, skills, etc.

2. Are leaders born or made?

2. Which of the following examples and pieces of evidence support the idea that you are BORN with leadership qualities, and which support the idea that leaders can be MADE? Put them under the relevant heading in the table below.

1. Innate personality traits such as charisma are essential for leadership.

2. Leaders vary their leadership style depending on the situation; for example, the type of organizational culture, the nature of the task involved, the experience of subordinates.

3. Leaders need extensive experience before they can become good leaders.

4. There is some evidence that tall people make good leaders.

5. Leadership is a collective enterprise whereby a group of people working together have a vision and implement a strategy; it does not depend on one individual.

6. People need to learn about the process of leadership (including how to motivate and communicate with people) by doing courses and training from mentors.

BORN	MADE

What do you think about the above ideas? What do you think now: are leaders born or made?

3. Evaluate how well you measure up as a prospective leader by responding to the following statements, and mark the options closest to your experience. If your answer is "never", mark Option 1; if it is "always", mark Option 4; and so on. Add your scores together, and refer to the Analysis to see how well you fared. Use your answers to identify the areas that most need improvement.

   Assessing Your Leadership Potential

   Options:

1 Never; 2 Occasionally; 3 Frequently; 4 Always

Analysis:

Now that you have completed the self-assessment, add up your total score, and check your ability by reading the corresponding evaluation. Yet, remember: however great your potential as a leader may be, remember that there is always room for improvement.

12-24: You are potentially competent, but you need to do a lot of work before you can excel in a leadership role.

25-36: Although you have the makings of a good leader, some areas still need to be improved. Identify and work on them.

37-48: Your leadership promise is high, but do not become complacent. Strive to realize it.

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