Can leaders be made or are they born?
Both Useem and Handfield-Jones emphasise that leaders are made, not born. There is no born leader as such, says Useem. Leadership at the front, mid and top lines alike is not innate. It is true some people have a huge head start. Theyre exceptionally clear minded. They communicate well. Theyre exceptionally persuasive. They look physically like a leader should, at least in the idealized Hollywood version. But the real skills of leadership at every level must be acquired in our lifetimes. There are no biological advantages. You have to learn those skills. And any organization, by implication, has to provide a chance for everybody to be a leader. Organizations can help managers and employees become leaders in a variety of ways: encouraging people to read histories, study biographies, carefully observe leaders around them, and engage in lifelong education. Organizations can also mentor people and help them discover, in their own way, how they can improve. Perhaps the most important thing
