Someone said that leaders are made, not born. So I would replay that leaders evolve at some point after a situation comes into play. The critical question is the timing of that leader evolving and whether that person can really provide the tools and skills necessary, or is it just talk.
You bring up a great point Ron re where the person is in their personal development as a leader. Organizations far too often mistake management for leadership and they are distinctly different animals. I firmly believe organizations are overmanaged and unled (part of the reason for lack of innovation in America, but that's another topic!). Leaders evolve from a different playground as it were...
Not to be indecisive, but I think both can be true, and it is mostly dependent on the experience level of the leader. For new leader, many of them finally "come into their own" in their first sticky situation. The more experienced leader can take tough times and use them to grow their team. so yes, no and maybe? :)
I would argue some leaders are 'born' or at least develop leadership skills very early. Other work to learn and master things that they don't intuitively understand in order to lead effectively. Some will set out to be leaders and create the situation where they can lead, while others don't discover their leadership ability until they are thrust into a situation requiring decisive leadership.
Situations serve as a refiner's fire. One has to go through them before he realizes his greatest potentials. Leaders the world has ever made were molded through their experiences; more failures than successes. But it was when they have turned these failures as stepping stones into more discoveries and successes that they become great and worthy of emulation. However, they only continue to be such when they share their discoveries and create more situations for others to learn from. I agree that there is a line dividing Leadership and Management. The latter requires more on skills in planning and execution to be effective. But the former goes beyond that. It primarily requires an attitude that gives him the ability to steer the entire organization even the world to a single, clearly defined direction. Indeed, situations make a leader but to be great he should be able to create situations for others. This works on the premise that one can never be successful unless he has helped others succeed.
Many managers mistakenly assume that leadership style is always a function of personality rather than strategic choice. Their leadership style is based upon their innate signature talents and this represents their default leadership behavior.
However, leaders can choose a different leadership style that best addresses the demands of a particular situation.
Being unaware that we can change our leadership style to match the situation at hand, we unconsciously engage our default behavior. Only when we become aware of something, are we able to make choices as to the action we wish to take.
The ultimate leadership responsibility is modeling the behaviors you expect from others. To a large degree, leaders operate in a fishbowl. Employees are constantly watching the leader--and learning from him or her.
Leaders make situations (directly and indirectly) via their presence and their vision and their ability to quickly locate and leverage resources.
Regardless of the situation they are in, they typically realize that problems equal opportunities and they can see things and ultimately produce things that it takes other people a very long time to see or figure out. Even with minimal resources, they can make things work out with what they have and who is around them.
'Failing' several times in a situation is not what made them leaders. Failing taught them how to be more creative with what they have, to make snap judgements and stop thinking so much about things and to more effectively locate and leverage resources.
Chances are extremely high from Day 1 they had the mindset that there is no such thing as failure...only delayed gratification (don't ask, I just made that up on the fly, lol). If they respected the forces of the universe and do their time, they knew they were going to get to the 'top' in due time, no matter what. This cycle repeats over and over again in almost every situation you are in.
Think of the people you meet at networking events and in your professional environment and such. Look at the people around you today whom you may have met through those type of events and that you consider successful or 'leaders' (they are often few and far between and they probably stand out/are easily remembered). When you met them your 6th sense told you there is something about that person that was not like anybody else. And if you look at everything they have done and accomplished in their life since, from the way they solve problems to the opportunities they come across, to the visionary ideas they have, you will notice, in many cases their ethic and the people in their network are very much a part of an environment....that they directly or indirectly fostered along the way.
It could be debated for a long time on the whole born v. learned leaders. I do not think that situations make leaders. I believe that situations have the potential to reveal leaders. No one can just declare themselves a great leader. Their leadership abilities have to be revealed. Situations are the way those are revealed. Once a leader is "revealed" then he can further develop his/her leadership skills. The best way to develop those skills is by practice. A leader practices his/her skills by putting him/herself in situations that will not only enhance his/her standing as a leader, but enhance his/her leadership skills.
Throughout life the opportunity to lead presents itself. We make the choice whether to accept or reject that chance. Some are bettered prepared to accept, others despite skill step up and meet the challenge.
I see leadership as the opportunity to enhance the worth of others to make sound decisions about life, whether at work, home, or in public. The base form of leadership is parenting. Successful parents enhance the worth of their children and help them learn how to make sound decisions about life on their own. Others may choose to berate, embarrass, order, use harsh discipline, not listen, and undermine their children's worth and abilities to make good decisions. Naturally they "know what's best for them." (Sound like any bosses you know?)
Let us take the aura an mystery away from leadership. It is not reserved just for executives or supposed leaders. It is a skill needed by all.
I believe it takes a certain personality to be a leader. Leaders must be able to sometimes make hard decisions or to take an innovative approach which may not be accepted by everyone around them. They must make the right decisions for themselves, their family and their place of work. If they are a strong leader others will follow by their example. Leaders are an inspiration to others though they may never know how much they influence the lives of others. Being a leader also involves the characteristics of integrity in their decisions. They must make honest decisions and the right decisions for each situation they face. I feel that individuals can become leaders through a set of circumstances by stepping up to the plate on issues they have experience and expertise to help others.
There are many situations that make leaders, but a natural born leader will bend the situation. When acts of God or freak accidents occur it is up to the people present to react and assist those who can not do for themselves. A leader will take charge and delegate to the others to distract their thoughts and get them to feel a sense of control in an uncontrolable situation.
On the flip side, in man-made situations, it is the leader that creates the outcome. It is the true leader that will win in an election, because even if they are not the most popular at the beginning they are able to create the situations that change perspectives. It is only by Hilary and Obama stepping up to the plate that allowed us to have our first Presidential front runners that aren't WASPy Men. They had the charisma and the force of will to create the situations that allowed them to become our leaders. Not all born leaders will become Presidents, but you are able to pick them out of a crowd.
My take is that leaders "see" situations before others do and then prepare to exercise their situational leadership when the time is right.
Many managers mistakenly assume that leadership style is always a function of personality rather than strategic choice. However, leaders can choose a different leadership style that best addresses the demands of a particular situation.
Being unaware that we can change our leadership style to match the situation at hand, we unconsciously engage our default behavior. Only when we become aware of something, are we able to make choices as to the action we wish to take. The ultimate leadership responsibility is modeling the behaviors you expect from others. To a large degree, leaders operate in a fishbowl. Employees are constantly watching the leader--and learning from him or her.
Throughout his long and storied career, Colin Powell has resisted chasing the latest management trend or fad. To anyone who would listen, Powell has always advocated the benefits of adopting a 'situational approach' to leadership instead of the 'one size fits all' approach that is favored by so many management consultants these days.
In Powell's experience, flitting furiously from fad to fad only serves to create confusion within your team and diminishes your credibility as a leader. Worse still, blindly following a particular management theory can also generate unnecessary rigidity in your thoughts and actions. This, argues Powell, can be disastrous. To quote Powell, "Some situations require the leader to hover closely; others require long, loose leashes. Leaders must understand that management techniques are not silver bullets or magic mantras, but simply tools that can be reached for at the right times, as circumstances dictate."
Leadership to me is like a two-edged sword.Either way , its result oriented.
Sometimes leadership arise out of a need to change an existing situation for the best.In such instances , a leader take a bold initiative to tread in an unpopular , risky or neglected terrain.
In some other instances , the inate qualities and characters of a leader have significant effect on his/her immediate or remote environment , giving rise to a positive multiplying effect.
The leader in this scenario becomes the agent of change, practically impacting desired and needed change.
Leadership to me is like a two-edged sword.Either way , its result oriented.
Sometimes leadership arise out of a need to change an existing situation for the best.In such instances , a leader take a bold initiative to tread in an unpopular , risky or neglected terrain.
In some other instances , the inate qualities and characters of a leader have significant effect on his/her immediate or remote environment , giving rise to a positive multiplying effect.
The leader in this scenario becomes the agent of change, practically impacting desired and needed change.
The role of situations in leadership depends on how you define it. I see leadership as an influence process. But I don't restrict to the person in charge. Take selling as a different type of influence. Selling is very situational. Some things can be sold via TV advertising, some through ebay and some things, like a car or a house, are best sold in person because you need to get the feel of the car or house, not just see pictures of them. Also, it takes different tactics to sell to different people. If you are really motivated to buy an iPod, for example, almost any sales person can sell you one. If you have no interest in iPods, it will take a super sales person to convince you.
The same is true of leadership. This is why it is pointless to talk about leadership qualities - we can't generalize. For example if you are trying to show leadership in the sense of convincing your colleagues to get on board with a new product you have developed and your product is so obviously good and your colleagues are real opportunists then you won't have to have fantastic leadership skills to influence them.
Regarding born vs developed leadership, again if you associate leadership with being an executive, then that takes a lot of development. But if, like me, you see leadership as simply influencing people to act or think differently, then this sort of leadership is a bit like youthful rebelliousness, the drive to change things for the better. I think people are born with different degrees of this inclination.
Is leadership innate or developed? Are we a product of nature or nurture? Often times an ordinary person put into an extraordinary situation can surmise and complete something of extraordinary status. But the true test of a leader and the situations that arrive in their life is a time-tested, developed / rationale decision frame-work to confront problems--that really are challenges—that lie ahead.
Do situations make a leader or do leaders make situations? Well, this is quite like the chicken and the egg discussion.
In my experience, it is a bit of both. This may sound like I am straddling a fence but the reality is that leaders have life experiences that allow them to make mistakes and learn how to be a leader. They are put in situations that help create leadership skills. During this journey as a leader he/she lays a foundation for the future as a honest/dishonest, benevolent/selfish.... leader by directing those around him/her and creating situations. These situations will ultimately create a leader's profile, historically.
Being a leader is a matter of choice. Do you want to step up and parent your children? Are you willing to take a stand? The mantra that I live by is “Do what is right, when it is right, even when it is hard to do.” Stop and listen to your own leadership mantra when you are given choices in life.
There are many types of leaders in the world. Leaders trying to do good things: Mother Teresa, Ghandi, Rosa Parks. Leaders trying to do otherwise: Hitler, Osama Bin Laden, Jim Jones.
We all have an opportunity to be leaders. What kind of leader are you? How will people remember your leadership?
When our company helps organization get their environmental messages across to their employee base, we recommend they consider this very question. A good message is both driven by the need to convey a leader goal as well as the need of people to want to participate in goals they see as personally valuable. Leaders need to put themselves in the shoes of their audience and create messages that are recipient friendly.
Both of them.Someone are born leader but situation they learn will make them.The environment they live and growth up too can influence them attitute too.
--
Enjoy.
A false choice -- the two are not mutually exclusive.
A situation can never "make" a leader, per se, but it can certainly bubble up a leader's propensity to lead in some circumstances.
Also, in real terms, leaders have "vision," so that vision must exist in some fashion prior to an occurrence.
Leaders clearly DO make many situations occur. As visionaries, as people with a mission and an understanding of how to impliment it, leaders by definition "make" or create relevant situations.
heady topic, but I don't believe we should view the choices -- except for fun, philosophical debates -- as mutually exclusive.
But that's just me...
KB
--
D. Kevin Berchelmann
Triangle Performance, LLC
#9 on Houston's FAST 100! www.triangleperformance.com
blog.triangleperformance.com
A false choice -- the two are not mutually exclusive.
A situation can never "make" a leader, per se, but it can certainly bubble up a leader's propensity to lead in some circumstances.
Also, in real terms, leaders have "vision," so that vision must exist in some fashion prior to an occurrence.
Leaders clearly DO make many situations occur. As visionaries, as people with a mission and an understanding of how to implement it, leaders by definition "make" or create relevant situations.
heady topic, but I don't believe we should view the choices -- except for fun, philosophical debates -- as mutually exclusive.
But that's just me...
KB
--
D. Kevin Berchelmann
Triangle Performance, LLC
#9 on Houston's FAST 100! www.triangleperformance.com
blog.triangleperformance.com
Replies | 22 Total
February 18, 2008 at 2:49pm by Ron Boto
Someone said that leaders are made, not born. So I would replay that leaders evolve at some point after a situation comes into play. The critical question is the timing of that leader evolving and whether that person can really provide the tools and skills necessary, or is it just talk.
February 18, 2008 at 6:08pm by YLL Catino
You bring up a great point Ron re where the person is in their personal development as a leader. Organizations far too often mistake management for leadership and they are distinctly different animals. I firmly believe organizations are overmanaged and unled (part of the reason for lack of innovation in America, but that's another topic!). Leaders evolve from a different playground as it were...
February 18, 2008 at 8:06pm by Brad Trnavsky
Not to be indecisive, but I think both can be true, and it is mostly dependent on the experience level of the leader. For new leader, many of them finally "come into their own" in their first sticky situation. The more experienced leader can take tough times and use them to grow their team. so yes, no and maybe? :)
February 19, 2008 at 5:34pm by Marc Tower
I would argue some leaders are 'born' or at least develop leadership skills very early. Other work to learn and master things that they don't intuitively understand in order to lead effectively. Some will set out to be leaders and create the situation where they can lead, while others don't discover their leadership ability until they are thrust into a situation requiring decisive leadership.
So, in short, both.
February 20, 2008 at 8:19pm by Merckh Fernandez
Situations serve as a refiner's fire. One has to go through them before he realizes his greatest potentials. Leaders the world has ever made were molded through their experiences; more failures than successes. But it was when they have turned these failures as stepping stones into more discoveries and successes that they become great and worthy of emulation. However, they only continue to be such when they share their discoveries and create more situations for others to learn from. I agree that there is a line dividing Leadership and Management. The latter requires more on skills in planning and execution to be effective. But the former goes beyond that. It primarily requires an attitude that gives him the ability to steer the entire organization even the world to a single, clearly defined direction. Indeed, situations make a leader but to be great he should be able to create situations for others. This works on the premise that one can never be successful unless he has helped others succeed.
March 19, 2008 at 9:27am by John Agno
Situational Leadership
Many managers mistakenly assume that leadership style is always a function of personality rather than strategic choice. Their leadership style is based upon their innate signature talents and this represents their default leadership behavior.
However, leaders can choose a different leadership style that best addresses the demands of a particular situation.
Being unaware that we can change our leadership style to match the situation at hand, we unconsciously engage our default behavior. Only when we become aware of something, are we able to make choices as to the action we wish to take.
The ultimate leadership responsibility is modeling the behaviors you expect from others. To a large degree, leaders operate in a fishbowl. Employees are constantly watching the leader--and learning from him or her.
April 17, 2008 at 6:48pm by Shonika Proctor
Leaders make situations (directly and indirectly) via their presence and their vision and their ability to quickly locate and leverage resources.
Regardless of the situation they are in, they typically realize that problems equal opportunities and they can see things and ultimately produce things that it takes other people a very long time to see or figure out. Even with minimal resources, they can make things work out with what they have and who is around them.
'Failing' several times in a situation is not what made them leaders. Failing taught them how to be more creative with what they have, to make snap judgements and stop thinking so much about things and to more effectively locate and leverage resources.
Chances are extremely high from Day 1 they had the mindset that there is no such thing as failure...only delayed gratification (don't ask, I just made that up on the fly, lol). If they respected the forces of the universe and do their time, they knew they were going to get to the 'top' in due time, no matter what. This cycle repeats over and over again in almost every situation you are in.
Think of the people you meet at networking events and in your professional environment and such. Look at the people around you today whom you may have met through those type of events and that you consider successful or 'leaders' (they are often few and far between and they probably stand out/are easily remembered). When you met them your 6th sense told you there is something about that person that was not like anybody else. And if you look at everything they have done and accomplished in their life since, from the way they solve problems to the opportunities they come across, to the visionary ideas they have, you will notice, in many cases their ethic and the people in their network are very much a part of an environment....that they directly or indirectly fostered along the way.
April 23, 2008 at 11:15am by David Goularte
It could be debated for a long time on the whole born v. learned leaders. I do not think that situations make leaders. I believe that situations have the potential to reveal leaders. No one can just declare themselves a great leader. Their leadership abilities have to be revealed. Situations are the way those are revealed. Once a leader is "revealed" then he can further develop his/her leadership skills. The best way to develop those skills is by practice. A leader practices his/her skills by putting him/herself in situations that will not only enhance his/her standing as a leader, but enhance his/her leadership skills.
April 26, 2008 at 3:44pm by Phil Clark
Throughout life the opportunity to lead presents itself. We make the choice whether to accept or reject that chance. Some are bettered prepared to accept, others despite skill step up and meet the challenge.
I see leadership as the opportunity to enhance the worth of others to make sound decisions about life, whether at work, home, or in public. The base form of leadership is parenting. Successful parents enhance the worth of their children and help them learn how to make sound decisions about life on their own. Others may choose to berate, embarrass, order, use harsh discipline, not listen, and undermine their children's worth and abilities to make good decisions. Naturally they "know what's best for them." (Sound like any bosses you know?)
Let us take the aura an mystery away from leadership. It is not reserved just for executives or supposed leaders. It is a skill needed by all.
May 2, 2008 at 6:37am by Dennis AuBuchon
I believe it takes a certain personality to be a leader. Leaders must be able to sometimes make hard decisions or to take an innovative approach which may not be accepted by everyone around them. They must make the right decisions for themselves, their family and their place of work. If they are a strong leader others will follow by their example. Leaders are an inspiration to others though they may never know how much they influence the lives of others. Being a leader also involves the characteristics of integrity in their decisions. They must make honest decisions and the right decisions for each situation they face. I feel that individuals can become leaders through a set of circumstances by stepping up to the plate on issues they have experience and expertise to help others.
June 6, 2008 at 9:31am by Megan DaGata
There are many situations that make leaders, but a natural born leader will bend the situation. When acts of God or freak accidents occur it is up to the people present to react and assist those who can not do for themselves. A leader will take charge and delegate to the others to distract their thoughts and get them to feel a sense of control in an uncontrolable situation.
On the flip side, in man-made situations, it is the leader that creates the outcome. It is the true leader that will win in an election, because even if they are not the most popular at the beginning they are able to create the situations that change perspectives. It is only by Hilary and Obama stepping up to the plate that allowed us to have our first Presidential front runners that aren't WASPy Men. They had the charisma and the force of will to create the situations that allowed them to become our leaders. Not all born leaders will become Presidents, but you are able to pick them out of a crowd.
September 13, 2008 at 10:02am by John Agno
My take is that leaders "see" situations before others do and then prepare to exercise their situational leadership when the time is right.
Many managers mistakenly assume that leadership style is always a function of personality rather than strategic choice. However, leaders can choose a different leadership style that best addresses the demands of a particular situation.
Being unaware that we can change our leadership style to match the situation at hand, we unconsciously engage our default behavior. Only when we become aware of something, are we able to make choices as to the action we wish to take. The ultimate leadership responsibility is modeling the behaviors you expect from others. To a large degree, leaders operate in a fishbowl. Employees are constantly watching the leader--and learning from him or her.
Throughout his long and storied career, Colin Powell has resisted chasing the latest management trend or fad. To anyone who would listen, Powell has always advocated the benefits of adopting a 'situational approach' to leadership instead of the 'one size fits all' approach that is favored by so many management consultants these days.
In Powell's experience, flitting furiously from fad to fad only serves to create confusion within your team and diminishes your credibility as a leader. Worse still, blindly following a particular management theory can also generate unnecessary rigidity in your thoughts and actions. This, argues Powell, can be disastrous. To quote Powell, "Some situations require the leader to hover closely; others require long, loose leashes. Leaders must understand that management techniques are not silver bullets or magic mantras, but simply tools that can be reached for at the right times, as circumstances dictate."
September 15, 2008 at 10:35pm by ADAMS UNAJI
Leadership to me is like a two-edged sword.Either way , its result oriented.
Sometimes leadership arise out of a need to change an existing situation for the best.In such instances , a leader take a bold initiative to tread in an unpopular , risky or neglected terrain.
In some other instances , the inate qualities and characters of a leader have significant effect on his/her immediate or remote environment , giving rise to a positive multiplying effect.
The leader in this scenario becomes the agent of change, practically impacting desired and needed change.
September 15, 2008 at 10:35pm by ADAMS UNAJI
Leadership to me is like a two-edged sword.Either way , its result oriented.
Sometimes leadership arise out of a need to change an existing situation for the best.In such instances , a leader take a bold initiative to tread in an unpopular , risky or neglected terrain.
In some other instances , the inate qualities and characters of a leader have significant effect on his/her immediate or remote environment , giving rise to a positive multiplying effect.
The leader in this scenario becomes the agent of change, practically impacting desired and needed change.
November 22, 2008 at 11:04am by Mitch McCrimmon
The role of situations in leadership depends on how you define it. I see leadership as an influence process. But I don't restrict to the person in charge. Take selling as a different type of influence. Selling is very situational. Some things can be sold via TV advertising, some through ebay and some things, like a car or a house, are best sold in person because you need to get the feel of the car or house, not just see pictures of them. Also, it takes different tactics to sell to different people. If you are really motivated to buy an iPod, for example, almost any sales person can sell you one. If you have no interest in iPods, it will take a super sales person to convince you.
The same is true of leadership. This is why it is pointless to talk about leadership qualities - we can't generalize. For example if you are trying to show leadership in the sense of convincing your colleagues to get on board with a new product you have developed and your product is so obviously good and your colleagues are real opportunists then you won't have to have fantastic leadership skills to influence them.
Regarding born vs developed leadership, again if you associate leadership with being an executive, then that takes a lot of development. But if, like me, you see leadership as simply influencing people to act or think differently, then this sort of leadership is a bit like youthful rebelliousness, the drive to change things for the better. I think people are born with different degrees of this inclination.
November 25, 2008 at 2:45pm by Michael Logsdon
Is leadership innate or developed? Are we a product of nature or nurture? Often times an ordinary person put into an extraordinary situation can surmise and complete something of extraordinary status. But the true test of a leader and the situations that arrive in their life is a time-tested, developed / rationale decision frame-work to confront problems--that really are challenges—that lie ahead.
December 18, 2008 at 12:39pm by Alma Tisher
Do situations make a leader or do leaders make situations? Well, this is quite like the chicken and the egg discussion.
In my experience, it is a bit of both. This may sound like I am straddling a fence but the reality is that leaders have life experiences that allow them to make mistakes and learn how to be a leader. They are put in situations that help create leadership skills. During this journey as a leader he/she lays a foundation for the future as a honest/dishonest, benevolent/selfish.... leader by directing those around him/her and creating situations. These situations will ultimately create a leader's profile, historically.
Being a leader is a matter of choice. Do you want to step up and parent your children? Are you willing to take a stand? The mantra that I live by is “Do what is right, when it is right, even when it is hard to do.” Stop and listen to your own leadership mantra when you are given choices in life.
There are many types of leaders in the world. Leaders trying to do good things: Mother Teresa, Ghandi, Rosa Parks. Leaders trying to do otherwise: Hitler, Osama Bin Laden, Jim Jones.
We all have an opportunity to be leaders. What kind of leader are you? How will people remember your leadership?
January 8, 2009 at 11:00am by Marvin Weisenthal
When our company helps organization get their environmental messages across to their employee base, we recommend they consider this very question. A good message is both driven by the need to convey a leader goal as well as the need of people to want to participate in goals they see as personally valuable. Leaders need to put themselves in the shoes of their audience and create messages that are recipient friendly.
January 24, 2009 at 4:30am by Somkid Mex
Both of them.Someone are born leader but situation they learn will make them.The environment they live and growth up too can influence them attitute too.
--
Enjoy.
April 17, 2009 at 8:22am by Kevin Berchelmann
A false choice -- the two are not mutually exclusive.
A situation can never "make" a leader, per se, but it can certainly bubble up a leader's propensity to lead in some circumstances.
Also, in real terms, leaders have "vision," so that vision must exist in some fashion prior to an occurrence.
Leaders clearly DO make many situations occur. As visionaries, as people with a mission and an understanding of how to impliment it, leaders by definition "make" or create relevant situations.
heady topic, but I don't believe we should view the choices -- except for fun, philosophical debates -- as mutually exclusive.
But that's just me...
KB
--
D. Kevin Berchelmann
Triangle Performance, LLC
#9 on Houston's FAST 100!
www.triangleperformance.com
blog.triangleperformance.com
April 17, 2009 at 8:23am by Kevin Berchelmann
A false choice -- the two are not mutually exclusive.
A situation can never "make" a leader, per se, but it can certainly bubble up a leader's propensity to lead in some circumstances.
Also, in real terms, leaders have "vision," so that vision must exist in some fashion prior to an occurrence.
Leaders clearly DO make many situations occur. As visionaries, as people with a mission and an understanding of how to implement it, leaders by definition "make" or create relevant situations.
heady topic, but I don't believe we should view the choices -- except for fun, philosophical debates -- as mutually exclusive.
But that's just me...
KB
--
D. Kevin Berchelmann
Triangle Performance, LLC
#9 on Houston's FAST 100!
www.triangleperformance.com
blog.triangleperformance.com