Great Leaders are not born, they are made.

     Some people believe that leaders are born with the necessary qualities that make them successful as a leader. While others believe that leadership, like many other similar characteristics, can be learned and developed through life. For me, I think much of the debate depends on how you define leadership.

     Let’s assume leadership means having an ability and desire to inspire and influence others. Based on that definition, I can certainly see the argument that leaders are born with leading qualities when I see my daughter using her inherent ability to influence her little brother (and sometimes her parents) to do the things she wants them to do.

     If leadership means being courageous and willing to speak out for the betterment of those around you, I would think that leaders do not have to be born as such. I have seen people who consider themselves introverts and overall followers become successful leaders when faced with an issue they are passionate about.

     If we define leadership as having atypical intelligence, creativity and/or drive, then I am back to believing that it’s a trait you’re born with, although you may or may not continue to develop that trait through your life.

So what does all this mean? 

     In my opinion, a leader is made because a person becomes a leader through life and work experiences,through mentors and personal reflection. Leader takes time to develop and they were made just like anything else, through hard work.

     Anyone can be a leader. We all have areas of our lives where we have talent and propensity for success. If this is also an area you feel passionate about, you may exude qualities that are absent from other areas of your life. So while you may not be a natural born leader in the strictest sense, you can certainly overcome many obstacles and develop a desire and ability to lead when you are inspired to do so.