...QuickView Leadership Series Helping you navigate the leadership landscape Are Leaders Born or Made? Perspectives from the Executive Suite By: William Gentry, Ph.D., Jennifer J. Deal, Ph.D., Sarah Stawiski, Ph.D., and Marian Ruderman, Ph.D. Issued March 2012 Introduction Do you think a leader should be a hero or a negotiator? Out in front leading people or coordinating the work of the group? Destined to be a leader or developed to be a leader? 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 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 is directive as aggressive or a tyrant. 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 selecIn the same way, tion (identify the right people) rather than on development (develop the people you get). 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. Consider United States Supreme Court Justice Antonin...
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...| “Are Good Leaders born, or can they be Made” | For decades researchers have been trying to find the answer to the question “Are good Leaders born, or can they be made?” However it is my belief that, it is a little of both, Leaders are naturally born and they can be made. Firstly, let us define who is a leader, Peter Guy Northouse – (2009) postulates that “a leader is any person who guides others towards a common goal, showing the way by example, thus creating an environment in which other team members feel actively involved in the entire process of goal achievement. A leader is not the boss of the team but instead, he/she is that person who is committed to carrying out the mission of the venture. He further defines leadership as” a process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task” which in short would mean working through others to achieve goals or objectives . With these definitions, it would be safe to say that anyone whose accomplishment necessitates the sustenance of others can be a leader. The same is true of many who are presently working with and through others to achieve a common objective that they are indeed leaders, whether they consider themselves to be eccentric or catastrophic leaders. Mahatma Gandhi once said that, “We must live the change we want to see”. This quote brings new meaning as it embraces the fact that we are leaders of any change in our lives, therefore logically...
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...something that CHCM did not have before; a new leadership development program specifically design for junior insurance executives. Mr. Ravaswami is suggesting to Ms. Castle not to invest on the leadership training because it will a waste of time and the money can be spent more wisely. I analyzed Mr. Ravaswami’s memo using the ten steps of critical thinking model from the book Asking the Right Questions. The way I accomplished this task was by asking one question at a time and explaining my results. What are the issues and the conclusion? The first step of the critical thinking model asks what are the issues and the conclusion with Mr. Ravaswami’s memo. After a senior executive meeting, the director of operations has suggested that it will be a good investment for CHCM to start a leadership development program for their junior financial executives. Mr. Ravaswami wrote a memo to Ms. Castle explaining his beliefs that CHCM should not proceed with the request because the program is not necessary and he concluded that the money could be spent better. What are the reasons? The second step asks for the reason why Mr. Ravaswami is suggesting not establishing a new leadership development program. As the first reason, the VP of resource discussed that in the last 50 years CHCM had an average rate of growth of 12% per year. He also pointed out in the memo that no one out of the 12 senior executives ever attended leadership development training and this has not...
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...Are Leaders Born or Made? Professional Development-MBA 525 St. Leo University Bruce Hammond February 10, 2013 Abstract This paper will discuss whether the greatest leaders are made or born. While many people are born with natural, instinctive leadership qualities and traits; many people can become great leaders with the training, earned respect and situations or environment. This paper will also discuss what makes an effective leader. Paper Section Whether great leaders are born or are they made is a greatly debated subject. Some people are certainly born with leadership instinct(s) that may never be fully realized and developed. Others may have traits that may not be traditionally thought of as natural born leader traits but they possess other skills and the desire to lead that can turn them into an effective leader. "Leaders are developed. Leadership is nothing more than a collection of skills, that when employed, produces results." (Garic, 2006) In today's ever-changing job market and economy, many leaders and many types of effective leaders will be needed. Leadership development is the way to mold various personal traits: personality, talent, honesty, ability, sincerity, skill, confidence, integrity, into a good leader. As Pace states: "There are no set rules for what makes a good leader, but most successful leaders can draw on several qualities to help them lead." (Pace, 2006) Leaders draw on personal experience, as well as, training, knowledge...
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...Leaders Are Born Not Made Introduction: The factual analysis about leader ship in this essay is based on results published in Journals and books published in various time-periods and by a variety of respected people belonging to the Psychological societies around the world. The fact being that no Leader is identical to an other so deriving a conclusion from any particular theory has always been a question mark. Although one may comment about the innate genetic factors which has given raise to “Born Leaders” and the “Made Leaders” by their choice and opportunities to improve their skills and work towards a goal. Born and Made Concept: According to “Fielder”, leader is defined as a person who is “appointed, elected, or informally chosen to direct and co-ordinate the work of others in a group”. So one has to understand leader and leader-ship are two very different concepts. With reference to the statement leaders are “born not made”, certain predispositions such as personality characteristics, could add an additional advantage of being a leader. The other factors such as family genes which one may procure are definitely cannot be argued upon. Intelligence, religion-growth-status, society, education, training, job etc... remain as external factors influencing ones Leadership. Therefore a change and a conflict is simply evident. The recent break through of a concept called “Cloning” has stirred a wider controversy about replicating a “LEADER”. Although the research is banned in...
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...5/13/2012 leaders are born not made If you order your custom term paper from our custom writing service you will receive a perfectly written assignment on leaders are born not made. What we need from you is to provide us with your detailed paper instructions for our experienced writers to follow all of your specific writing requirements. Specify your order details, state the exact number of pages required and our custom writing professionals will deliver the best quality leaders are born not made paper right on time. Out staff of freelance writers includes over 120 experts proficient in leaders are born not made, therefore you can rest assured that your assignment will be handled by only top rated specialists. Order your leaders are born not made paper at affordable prices with Live Paper Help! . Leaders are born, not made Over the years there has been many opinions on this statement, and when trying to understand leadership success many approaches have been looked at. Researchers at the start of the 0th century focused on traits that leaders possessed. It was thought that some people were born with traits which made them a leader. Before the nd World War a lot of research was carried out, which sought to identify these characteristics. This is known as the Great Man Approach, since being born with these characteristics made you a “great man”. So is it true that leaders are born? Before seeking to answer this question, the theories should be examined. Stodgill...
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...Great Leaders: Are they Born or Made? 1 Henry Kissinger once said that "The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not been." No one can deny that the act being a leader is an enormous job and that the best and worst leaders are remembered throughout history. What no one has determined thus far is if leaders are born or made. True leaders might have natural abilities that lend themselves to taking charge over people, but some leaders are born out of necessity; they see a situation and take control over it. The Great Trait website discusses the idea that there is a leadership trait that determines a future leader. This view is countered in Daniel Maltby’s article, “The State of Leadership Theory and Training Today”, where he suggests that leaders are developed, not born. Even Colin Powell agrees with this view. Francis Yammarino sees no point in discerning whether a leader is born or made, and John Gardner is more concerned with the unrealistic expectations for the leader once in charge. Therefore, a leader is made, not born, because with the right opportunities and training, anyone can become a leader. In ancient times, leaders were, in fact, born to the position. Leaders such as Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar were born into families who demanded that they would one day lead a nation. Others are born with the qualities necessary to become a great leader. Determining whether or not a leader is effective is the more difficult...
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...Q. According to Bennis, ‘the most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born – that there is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people simple either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.’ Do you agree or disagree? Provide reasons for your opinion. The world’s top companies share a common understanding that strong, effective leadership is essential in their success as an organization (“Leaders Are Made,” 2008). The performance of a company often rides on the many decisions the higher management or company leaders make. Company leaders, for example the chief executive officer, make crucial decisions that determines the direction the company is heading towards, whether resulting in its success or towards its demise. Hence strong leadership is often seen as a key, highly sought after asset in many corporations. Likewise, in ancient times, people have been in awe and in fear of certain great leaders. One good example would be Alexander the Great. He was the most celebrated member in his dynasty and created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Armed with a brilliant mind, he was undefeated in battle with his usage of superior tactics. Indeed, he was one of the most feared and respected leaders in history. The basic principles of leadership have been until recent times, discussed by many, but received no formal agreement on definition (Radman, 2007)....
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...leadership ARE LEADERS BORN OR MADE? OR BOTH? Which came first - the chicken or the egg? Do great leaders learn to be superb inspirational figures? Or is it all in the genes and do people with exemplary leadership skills have a natural aptitude for the job? The old ‘nature’ versus ‘nurture’ question! Can we finally put this age-old argument to rest and come to a conclusion? Let’s go to basics first. Encyclopaedia Britannica states: “Leadership - exercising of influence over others on behalf of the leader’s purposes, aims or goals.” Leaders are born not made: The 19th century Great Man theory believes that people inherit certain qualities and traits that make them better suited to leadership, claiming there are specific inborn characteristics which predispose people to be and become leaders. There is a significant difference between ‘learning a skill’ and ‘mastering one’, in the same way that some are born with outstanding musical or athletic talents. They will excel naturally in these areas but in others they would be like a fish out of water. This theory is supported by a 2013 research from UCL (University College London). The study is the first to identify a specific DNA sequence associated with the tendency for individuals to occupy a leadership position. Using a large twin sample, the international research team, which included academics from Harvard, New York University, and the University of California, estimate that a quarter of the observed ...
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...Effective Leaders Born or Made? (Nature versus Nurture) Srinivas Introduction The definition of leadership is that the art of motivating a gaggle of individuals to act towards achieving a standard goal. In even easier terms, the leader is that the inspiration and director of the action. He or she is that the person within the cluster that possesses the mixture of temperament and skills that creates others needs to follow his or her direction (Ward). That brings every one of us to the foremost basic and most often-asked question all told leadership development, square measure nice leaders born or made? Some individuals believe that leaders square measure born with the set of skills to become a successful leader. Whereas others believe that leadership may be learned and developed through life. Thereupon being aforesaid I’m certain we've all been told once or a lot of in our lives that leaders square measure born, not made; that leadership is regarding ego, and nice guys end last (Kjerulf, 2009). Well reassess my friends, leaders aren't born, they're created. What makes somebody an honest leader is that the side of discovery? It’s the idiomatic expression of an individual at their finest whose endeavor is to vary one thing for the higher and to expand this forthcoming in others. Several people typically get trapped in basic cognitive process that leadership relies on a title or position however in point of fact this can be aloof from the reality. Leadership qualities...
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...LEADERS: Leaders are the people who influence individuals or groups for the achievement of predetermined goals.A person who rules or guides or inspires others. Someone others are willing to follow, almost without question. LEADERSHIP: Dr. Paul Hersey defines leadership as "working with and through others to achieve objectives." Given this definition, anyone in a position whose achievement requires the support of others can play the role of a leader. Art or process of influencing people so that they will strive willingly towards achieving set goals. Characteristics of a good leader: * One who has an excellent and admirable character A leader has to be trustworthy and must fulfill promises made. He must also take responsibility for his own actions. * One who takes work seriously A good leader is one who takes his work and role as a leader seriously. He motivates his followers towards a common objective. * One who is confident and calm in a crisis A leader must display self-confidence and exude a clam disposition so that people will believe in him. He is able to adapt to situational changes. There has been a debate for years about what makes a great leader. This debate is at times summarized into two schools of thought. Trait Theories: Similar in some ways to "Great Man" theories, trait theories assume that people inherit certain qualities and traits that make them better suited to leadership. Trait theories often identify particular personality or behavioral characteristics...
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...What is leadership? What defines a great leader? Firstly leaders usually tends to step up in times of crisis and is able to act and think in challenging situations. They are also very inspiring, and charismatic this in turns inspire subordinates to engage and perform their duties in achieving their goal. Secondly leadership is a process of social influence which motives others in getting the best out of them towards the accomplishment of a task. Throughout the world there are a lot perception, interpretation and definitions that can be formulated from the word “leadership”. And to most extent what a leader is. What is understood, is to be a remarkable leader one must possess some of these skills such as being ambitious, having a positive attitude in terms of holding their own emotions in check especially in tough situations. They must be able to step down to be in touch with their people. Setting the right example by the way they act whiles focusing on the bigger picture. They usually are well-organized they establish a clear vision and provide information knowledge and methods in realizing that vision, they are also capable or coordinating and balancing conflicting interest of all members of a group, organization or institution. Unlike management leadership cannot be taught, some may argue that leadership can be learned through proper mentoring and coaching where others may say that leadership is a rare skill that not any one individual can obtain unless they are born...
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...‘Leaders are born not made’. To what extent you agree or disagree with this statement? Justify your answer using leadership theories and relevant examples. ‘The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born – that there is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.’ – Warren G. Bennis (Farlow, n.d.). Leadership is about changing minds and moving organisations forward (Leadership Theories and Styles, 2009). The art of leadership, however focused on a specific goal or vision, is also about the individuals that are being led; learning, advancing and prospering (Farlow, n.d.). Education, mentoring and experience are how leaders are made, they are not born with any genetic capacity to lead. When it comes to leadership, competencies determine what a person can do. Commitment determines what they want to do, and character determines what they will do (Crossan et al., 2012). The theoretical framework surrounding leadership is based upon power of an individual over a collective, moving toward a defined goal or common purpose. It entails planning, organising and controlling to build enthusiasm and maintain momentum (Schermerhorn 361). “The ability of a superior to influence the behavior of subordinates and persuade them to follow a particular course of action.” (Barnard 1968). Barnard has identified superiority...
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...Leadership: Born or Made? Table of Contents ODT Map 3 What Makes an Effective Leader? 4 Communication 4 Motivation 5 Vision 5 Decisiveness 5 Leadership Behavior 6 Scenario 1: One-on-One 6 Born or Made 8 The Team Consensus 9 Appendix A: Leadership Traits 11 Appendix B: References 12 ODT Map As shown above, the Outcome-Directed Thinking (ODT) is a way for an organization and or an individual to be able to work together towards a common objective. ODT was created for leaders to get things done by effectively utilizing its resources and motivating its employees to reach its objectives. To do this, we have created an ODT map to create an action plan and accomplish our team objectives. This plan is designed as a motivational plan of action to accomplish our positive outcome statement “Create the most complete and convincing paper about leadership qualities”. What Makes an Effective Leader? If you ask an individual what makes an effective leader, more often than not you will probably not receive exactly the same answer. Everybody interprets this question differently; it could be due to past experiences or knowledge you have acquired during your career of what a leader should be. One of the most debatable questions regarding leadership is, is a leader born or made? We will reveal this later in the discussion, but what we can say is there are so many traits mentioned when defining a leader. We have decided that these below make a significant impact on leadership...
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...In the past there have been great leaders both men and women. It has been argued that ‘leaders are made not born’. Do you agree? The issue of leadership influenced by nature or nurture has been a debatable issue from the past years. Some people believe that leadership comes from inherited genes and others believe it is from environmental influence. This essay will argue that leaders are made because of education, experience and mentorship. However, to a lesser extend nature also plays a role because some people inherit leadership genes and intelligence from parents which drives them to be great leaders. Therefore nurture has more impact on leadership than nature. Firstly, education plays an important role in the development of leaders. Education is influenced by nurture. Owen, Hodgson and Gazzard(2004) believes that, “Our view that leadership may be influenced by genes but leadership is more greatly influenced by many other factors and our potential for leadership is not related to genes” (p.20). The quotation shows that leaders are made through various factors but not inheritance. This means that education and learning as one of the factors is an important tool used for leadership success. Other people are born with natural intelligence but they lack knowledge and might not succeed because of illiteracy. Corderman(2006) suggests that, “Thus effective leadership necessarily involves some degree of acquired learning-in most cases, a very substantial degree” (p.13). ...
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