Leaders Are Born or Made

Although some individuals are naturally more inclined to become leaders, it should be noted that their early life experience plays a fundamental role in their future life (Mishra & Karen, 2008). All people can become leaders only if they desire and take efforts to do so. In relation to this, it is clear that some people are more empathetic than others, others are more energetic and some are more engaging than others (Mishra & Karen, 2008). This implies that individuals have unique composition of talents, motives and dreams that provide a raw material for getting the best out of everyone around them. Mishra & Karen (2008) state that “leaders who consistently keep their commitments are frank almost to a fault, and perform incredibly, while seeking to better the lives of those around them rather than simply filling their own bank accounts” (p. 4). These people act both humbly and heroically, but they are not superhuman or unbelievable.
According to Avolio (2005), one of the truths held by many people about leadership is that leaders are born to lead and made by some mysterious confluence of events. Most of what leaders have that enables them to lead is learned. Therefore, Avolio (2005) points out that leadership is not a mysterious activity and, thus, the ability to perform complex tasks is widely distributed to people. Many people articulate that leadership is inborn and it has become a truth for them and a part of their mental image or model about leadership. Avolio (2005) further indicates that personal training, a feedback or personal coaching in the world are likely to fall short of achieving its objectives of developing a person’s leadership potential. When we accept that leaders are born to lead, we may avoid being engaged in situations and experiences that trigger ones full potential.
People may get engaged in those situations and experiences, but fail to derive a deep meaning from those events that enhance an individual’s leadership development