Written Assignment Unit 2

Name Removed in Accordance with Anonymity.

University of the People.

BUS 5411 - Leading in Today's Dynamic

Contexts.

Professor. Frank Billingsley.

June 28, 2023

Introduction

Leadership is an important aspect of any organization, so the debate over whether leaders are

born or made is an old one. Some believe that leaders have the inherent qualities to be a leader,

while others believe that the skills and attributes to be a good leader can be developed through

education and experience. In this discussion, I will argue that leadership is primarily made, not

born.

Leadership Made

Research shows that leadership is primarily made, not born. The Centre for Creative Leadership

conducted a study that examined the factors that differentiate successful leaders from

unsuccessful ones. They found that 70 percent of what makes a leader effective is due to their

acquired skills, as opposed to their natural traits and abilities (Barling, 2014). The study

indicates that leaders can be developed through education, training, and experience. It means

that individuals with certain natural abilities such as intelligence, charisma, and extraversion

may have an advantage, but those abilities do not guarantee effective leadership. Emotional

intelligence is one skill that has been linked to effective leadership, and it can be learned

through training and development (Zulfqar et al., 2021).

Leadership Traits are not Innate.

Proponents of the natural leader theory believe that leadership traits such as honesty, integrity,

and decisiveness are innate. However, research has shown that leadership traits are not innate

but can be developed through education and experience. For example, individuals can learn to

become more assertive and increase self-confidence by taking leadership training courses or

challenging themselves with new responsibilities (Barling, 2014). Therefore, a leader is not

born, but they are made, through a process of learning and development.
Leadership Experience

Experience plays an important role in shaping leadership skills. Good leaders often have a

variety of experiences that help them develop their skills, whether in formal leadership roles or

not. Leadership experience provides individuals with numerous opportunities to learn, grow,

and develop. It also enables individuals to observe and learn from other successful leaders,

which can be critical in developing good leadership skills (Keating et al., 2017).

Conclusion

In conclusion, whether leaders are born or made has been a long-running debate. However,

research has shown that leadership is mainly made, and not born, through a process of learning

and development. While certain natural abilities may give an individual an advantage, they do

not guarantee effective leadership. Education, experience, and training are essential in

developing effective leadership skills. Therefore, it is important to invest in developing great

leaders to help organizations achieve their goals.

Word count: 417.

 References

Barling, J. (2014). Are leaders born or made? The Science of Leadership, 122–146.
https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199757015.003.0005

Keating, L., Heslin, P., & Ashford, S. (2017, August 10). Good leaders are good learners.
Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2017/08/good-leaders-are-good-learners

Zulfqar, A., Valcke, M., Quraishi, U., & Devos, G. (2021). Developing academic leaders:
Evaluation of a leadership development intervention in higher education. SAGE Open,
11(1), 215824402199181. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244021991815