There has been a debate for years about what it takes to become a great leader. This debate is summarized into two groups of views – one proposes that leaders are those who are born with a unique set of skill and have leadership abilities, they are just naturally gifted. On the other hand, the other group proposes that leaders are made, they learn, grow and develop into great leaders by learning skills and empowering others.
You can see that this debate is as timeless as the questions like “to be or not to be” , or “nature or nurture”. So which one is actually correct – are leaders born or made? I think both the groups are right. Leaders may start with the gift of leadership but only with hard work and persistence they can flourish it fully.
Now the question is what it takes to become a successful leader. You need to follow some principles as mentioned below –
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Maintain absolute integrity
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Be honest
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Delegate tasks to the appropriate departments
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Communicate
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Stay optimistic and confident
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Have willingness to show commitment
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Inspire the team to see the vision of the success
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Customize your approach on a person by person basis, based on situation.
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Keep moving forward
Leaders learn through life experiences. Also some organizations conduct leadership development programs that are designed to develop a person’s leadership capital, help people define themselves as leaders and provide them the practical expertise and knowledge that support them throughout their leadership journey.
Yes, sometimes genetics can give a person a quicker start out of the gate. However the truth is it is not about what you have been provided; it is about what you do with it.
So, the bottom line is that there is no perfect definition of leader or one-size-fits-all way to lead. A person becomes a successful leader through hard work, the price that everybody must pay to meet any goal that is worthwhile. You are the one who can flesh all the needed skills out and excel in the leadership position. Yes, you can born with some virtues. But only through practicing the virtues across situations, those can become ingrained parts of your character. No one is born to be leader. Polishing and sharpening skills can help one dive deep into the pursuit of leadership success.
Hope now you have got clear insight that no one is born a leader. So, what are you waiting for! Harness your “you”ness and work harder. You can join leadership development programs and coaching as well to define yourself as a successful leader in a more organized way.
