Is the leadership born or made Essay Example

their skills by experimenting with different approaches and analyzing their performance for improvement.The authors of the book Geeks and Geezers, Warren Bennis and Robert Thomas, highlight the importance of "crucibles" in leadership. These challenging experiences are considered failures by leaders who do not learn from them. Nevertheless, effective leaders view these incidents as valuable lessons that can enhance their capabilities in future crises. They possess the capability to convert unfavorable circumstances into favorable ones by extracting insights from them. Assuming responsibility for their personal development, they actively search for training opportunities that can significantly enhance their performance. Specifically, they seek out training programs that enable them to acquire job-related skills.

After completing leadership development training, employees should actively apply the knowledge gained to real-life situations. A study conducted by Marshall Goldsmith and Howard Morgan on 88,000 managers who underwent leadership development training found that those who engaged in discussions about their training and made deliberate efforts to implement what they learned were perceived as more effective leaders. Conversely, those who showed no improvement were the ones who took no action. If your role involves overseeing leadership development in your company, it is vital to acknowledge that most learning happens while individuals are performing their job responsibilities. Assist individuals in creating plans for leadership development and support them in choosing specific skills training that can be directly applied within their roles.

Assist in finding role models, mentors, and peers for leadership discussions. Assist leaders in receiving feedback from their boss, peers, and subordinates. Develop a culture of candor to ensure helpful and effective feedback. Additionally, evaluate leaders' performance in their leadership roles. Recognize achievements

and hold leaders responsible for accomplishing the mission as a team. Furthermore, hold leaders accountable for nurturing and supporting the growth and development of their subordinates. Remember, a leader's growth is an ongoing process.

Continuous leadership learning is an ongoing process that never truly ends as there is always room for improvement and acquiring additional skills. Successful leaders actively pursue opportunities to develop and enhance their knowledge and abilities, which can be in the form of project assignments or job changes. The ultimate goal is to expand their skillset for different scenarios. In addition, effective leaders proactively seek chances to increase their visibility within the organization. It should be noted that exceptional performance alone is not enough for career advancement; being visible to decision-makers in terms of promotions and assignments is crucial. Therefore, if you are responsible for nurturing leaders within your company, it is advisable to establish programs that provide both types of development opportunities throughout their professional journeys.

Developing effective leaders in a company is not a formulaic process. However, you can cultivate the necessary leaders by selecting individuals with the right qualities and providing them with training, feedback, on-the-job learning, and development experiences while also holding them accountable for results. We surveyed C-level executives to gather their opinions on what creates a leader - traits, experiences, or training. Those who believe leaders are made think that experiences are more important than traits or training (experiences=46%, training=34%, traits=20%; see Exhibit 2). On the other hand, those who believe leaders are born think that traits (41%) and experiences (38%) are equally important while training (21%) is only half as significant as either

traits or experiences.

Made believes that what people learn over time is more crucial to their development compared to Born. On the other hand, Born places a greater emphasis on traits. If Made and Born have differing beliefs about leadership creation, does this impact their perspectives on development? Are Born less supportive of training because they do not consider it as significant?

Is good leadership a natural trait or can it be acquired through learning?

Do Mades and Borns have differing beliefs about how individuals become leaders? If so, do they also hold different beliefs about the definition of effective leadership? In our study, participants were asked to choose an image that symbolizes good leadership from a set of 17 options. They were also requested to select up to five adjectives to describe their chosen image. Interestingly, four images emerged as the most frequently selected choices among all participants. Remarkably, both Mades and Borns commonly chose the same image as representative of good leadership: the Music Conductor. This particular portrayal depicts someone positioned at the forefront who guides and harmonizes the efforts of an orchestra.

The Music Conductor image involves coordinating musicians to play their different instruments together and create music instead of cacophony. Both Borns and Mades used similar adjectives, such as "uses talents of different members effectively" and "sets direction," to describe this image.

It is crucial to engage in lifelong learning.

According to Brown, leaders in the C-suite should not make the mistake of ceasing their development and coaching efforts, as this shows complacency. Brown suggests that demonstrating a commitment to personal growth sends a positive

message to both the organization and the team they lead. Since leaders at this level often lack honest feedback, seeking diverse perspectives becomes vital. Hiring an executive coach can assist in enhancing a leader's development in this aspect. Brown stresses the significance of allocating at least 10% of weekly time for self-reflection and learning.

According to Vince Lombardi, the text emphasizes that leaders are made through hard work rather than being born. Lombardi explains that this hard work involves sacrificing in order to achieve important goals. Warren G. Bennis adds to this by emphasizing that effective leaders prioritize making individuals feel valued and important, giving meaning to their work. Anthony T. Dadovano asserts that a strong leader not only performs tasks correctly but also recognizes the right tasks to concentrate on. In conclusion, leadership is not solely determined by skill or ability; it also requires willingness and character.

According to Vince Lombardi, being a leader requires having truth in purpose and will power in character. Warren G. Bennis challenges the belief that leaders are born with charismatic qualities, stating instead that leaders are made. John Kenneth Galbraith believes great leaders confront the major anxieties of their people in their time. John Quincy Adams states that if your actions inspire others to dream, learn, do more, and become more, then you are a leader. Ultimately, leadership quality is crucial for determining an organization's success or failure.

Fred Fiedler and Martin Chemers explain in their book "Improving Leadership Effectiveness" that leadership is a combination of strategy and character. Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf agrees, suggesting that if one had to choose between the two, it

is preferable to be without the strategy element. Tom Landry emphasizes the importance of gaining people's confidence and controlling the situation as part of leadership, which requires appropriate reactions to maintain control. Peter F. Drucker believes that true leadership goes beyond having a magnetic personality or using flattery to make friends and influence people; instead, it involves elevating individuals' vision and performance standards while pushing their personalities beyond normal limits.