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Leaders are not born but made according to trait and situational theories of leadership
Discuss "Leaders Are Born And Not Made
Comparing and Contrasting Leadership Models
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According to Warren G. Bennis, "The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born -- that there is a genetic factor to leadership...That's nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born." (Bennis). Others starkly disagree with Bennis and hold to the opinion that leaders are born. The popular opinion of several psychologists is that leadership is an inherited characteristic, and those that don’t inherit this gift have no chance of developing it on their own. Contrary to the popular belief that leaders are born, I believe that leaders are made. Leaders are made because leaders come from all walks of life, people can become leaders at any point in their lives, people become better leaders over time, and the question in itself of whether or not leaders are born or made is detrimental.
According to the London School of Economics, leaders are seldom ever born (Varghese). Instead, leaders are those people who rise to the occasion and willing opt to lead given particular conditions. Bernard Bass theorized that under certain circumstances any person can be a leader (Varghese). At the same time, it is often thought that leadership characteristics are inherited. The problem with this theory is evident when presented with the research that shows only a slight connection between IQ tests and personality profiles that doesn’t distinguish leaders from non-leaders in any way (Varghese). So if intelligence and personality have no influence over whether or not someone is a leader, how can people possibly think that leaders are born? Whether or not someone is a leader is dependent solely upon the circumstances and the choices they make in regards to those circumstances. Leaders arise from all walks o...
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Bennis, Warren G.. "Inspirational Quotes for Business and Work: Leadership." About. The New York Times Company, n.d. Web. 18 Nov 2011. .
Bock, Wally. "Are Leaders Born or Made?." Three Star Leadership. Wally Bock, 2006. Web. 21 Nov 2011. .
Riggio, Ronald E. "Are Leaders Born or Made? Why the Question Itself is Dangerous." Cutting-Edge Leadership. Psychology Today, 29 Dec. 2010. Web. 21 Nov. 2011. .
Varghese, Sangeeth. "Are Leaders Really Born?." Forbes. Forbes.com LLC™ , 11.29.07. Web. 17 Nov 2011. .
What comes to mind when someone hear the words “born leader”? Certainly, one thinks of a person with the qualities of passion, integrity, confidence, and intelligence. Since the beginning of civilization, born leaders, through their actions, have been able to greatly impact their environment. Shi Huangdi, Siddhartha Gautama, and King Hammurabi are just a few examples of specific leaders in early civilizations that left legacies that have lasted for centuries. Overall, individuals in the past had such amazing leadership skills that they were able to shape the times in which they lived.
Leadership is a complex process with many different approaches. This is a summary of the leadership literature including the pros and cons of each approach. The trait approach implies successful leaders are born with those traits. This theory focuses on identifying certain traits that make people great leaders. Some of the major leadership traits identified in the trait approach are intelligence, self-confidence, determination, integrity, and social ability. There are many advantages to the trait approach. “First, it is intuitively appealing because it fits clearly into the popular idea that leaders are special people who are out front, leading ...
Warren Bennis’ novel, On Becoming a Leader, is the book I was able to read. Bennis worked years on this novel constructing it off of one of his former creations. Finally, in Cambridge, Ma Bennis published his story by Perseus publishing. Throughout this book he centers around the search to understand exactly how leaders are made. Bennis uses a unique approach to portraying his opinion. This is not an ordinary “how to” book on becoming a leader. Nor is it an autobiography of one’s personal experience. Bennis was a teacher and student all his life, he has never run a country or even a company. Bennis is not directly reciting his own experiences as a leader. This paper outlines Bennis’ basic thoughts, theories, and his contributions to the field
The vision of leadership that leaders are born made, and not learn to be leaders is still considered but not popular among researchers (Avolio et al, 2013).
Great “leaders are made, not born” (Skrhak, 2014). A great leader motivates and influences a team to reach seemingly impossible goals. A great leader has a compelling sense of purpose and duty. Great leaders portray excellence and in return they expect no less than excellence. An effective and great leader is not defined by only personality, but by their values, ability and skills, and leadership style.
Leadership has always been a diligently studied subject; the art and science of being an effective leader is something that most people would like to successfully cultivate. However, reading every book on the subject does not guarantee successful leadership – it only assists in the understanding of how others flourished in their methods. A technique that worked in one situation may reap havoc on another – such as Spartacus taking over as the leader of the people in India instead of Ghandi. The key to leading is understanding the circumstances you are in and the kind of behavior that will secure covenantal followers. Furthermore, even if an individual was not born with specific personality traits that are advantageous to potential leaders, if
Trait theorists believe that leaders are born that way and leadership is part of an individuals DNA. In the 19th century, Thomas Carlyle, a historian proposed “The Great Man Theory” based on his research of many great men such as Gandhi, Lincoln, and Alexander the Great. He believed that these men were destined ...
Becoming a leader is never an easy task. It is complex with rational decision making and accepting responsibility for those decisions. Being the leader, does not mean that you always make the best choice, but it does mean you learn and grow from all you experiences. Sometimes becoming a leader is not a choice, but a responsibility that you inherit. Leaders are not born, but are created through trial and error. A true leader cares for his subordinate and will always respect, listen, and mentor them, but a true leader will also discipline correct subordinates when needed. Sometimes a leader needs to depend on his faith and look to a higher power, so that he can make choices with guidance.
I believe that leadership is not something that you are born with, but that has to be learned over time. You learn to become a leader from watching other leaders, and also from personal experience. People should become leaders; so that they can help others do their best. They should not become leaders for the title and power that may come with leadership. Being a leader does not mean you get to boss people around by telling them what to do. The purpose of a leader is to guide others by encouraging, showing them the way, and by challenging them to do the best that they can do. I learned leadership through personal experience. In high school I played sports and had many class projects to do. My senior year was the first time my school had a soccer program, and I along with two other girls was captains. As we all know, when a group of girls come together, the drama comes too. All three of the captains had to work together and show the girls that if we wanted this program to be a success and grow, they had to work together as well. It was hard at first, but when we encouraged everyone, it worked out better than expected in the end. Also, in my business class, we had a lot of projects that were mostly group projects. During the end of the year, we had a project where we had to make up a new product. My partner and I were both seniors and it was a stressful time with finals, SAT scores, graduation, and trying to become honor graduates. We were tired and just did not want to do another project, but our teacher, Mr. Brace, did not give up on us. He showed us what to do, and encouraged us constantly every day. He would tell us many positive things and would check up on us. He was a great teacher and a great leader. Leadership may be one wo...
As Yukl (2010) indicates, such factors (e.g. personality, values and capacities) attributed to a leader. Normally it is widespread acknowledged that someone is born to be a lead...
As a growing debate, the question at hand is whether great leaders are born with specific leadership traits, or if one can be taught certain traits over time. According to (Wikipedia.com) the approach of listing leadership qualities, often termed "trait theory of leadership", assumes certain traits or characteristics will tend to lead to effective leadership. I believe that leadership traits such as honest, competent, initiative, inspiring, hardworking, intelligent, and the ability to lead the masses, are some of the leadership traits one should possess. Within this paper, I will examine the overall concept of leadership traits, while observing the traits that were, or can be associated with successful leaders.
Where does our leadership style develop from? Many of us will readily agree with the idea that the presence of certain personality traits will positively influence a leader’s style or successfulness. Determining exactly which personality traits are conductive to successful leadership is more difficult. For example, although many support the idea that charisma is a key trait for leadership, Komives et al. argue that the presence of charisma in a leader can actually be a negative influence in leadership, citing Adolf Hitler as one such case (66). Therefore, the question becomes not only if personality determines who we are as leaders, but which personality traits determine who we are as leaders. In my opinion, leadership is determined by the
Leadership is found not just at work but all around us. In any situation, leaders take a step forward and take charge of the situation. It can be at home, at work or at any other place. Leaders are never born, they become leaders because they have the credibility and people would love to follow them.
Some people were born to be great leaders and some were born to be great learners. I ask myself this question, “How was I created?” Was I born a leader or was I molded to lead. As I explain my philosophy on how I want to lead, I will first dive into my past to recognize and pin point my creator. October 27th 2004 I raise my right hand in order to serve and protect the United State against all enemies, foreign and domestic. At this moment in my young personal leadership journey, I get my first glimpse of a leadership style, “shut up and listen.”
Bennis, W. & Nanus, B. (1985). Leaders: The Strategies for taking charge. New York: Harper Row.