Are great leaders born, or are they trained?

For those who don't know me, I'm Daniel Karim. I'm the founder and CEO of Chieftain Executive University. I'm also the host of The Podcast Chieftains. I've written over 100 works on human nature, leadership, and persuasion.?

For the past 20 years, I've dedicated the last two decades finding an answering to the question I posed to you.?

I've traveled the world and spoken with individuals from all walks of life, interviewed global experts on my podcasts, and studied under some of the greatest minds in psychology from Harvard, Stanford, Princeton and other legacy institutions.

But my journey to understand the psychic architecture of great leaders began not with success, but with a struggle. It forced me to confront this question.

Getting Expelled from Education?

By the time I was 16, I'd been kicked out of three different schools. Unauthoritarian behavior, day dreaming and constant fighting were the reason for my involuntarily exmatriculation.?

In Germany at the time, a rule stated that if a student is kicked out of the same grade twice, they face expulsion from the public school system entirely. This means no other school is allowed to take you. So I went from ordinary troublemaker at school, to an?exile?who was casted out by civilization.

I wrote to my father that it felt like a death sentence. But, while losing everything, I suddenly found I had something no one my age had:?freedom.?

Liberated from the curricular duties of a student and member of my tribe, I suddenly, for the first time in my life, could decide what to study and what not to.?

So I became my own?school master?and my schedule was an?empty canvas?that I had to fill with something that would turn me into?someone.?

Someone. Yes, But who??

This was my first challenge, figuring out for myself who I should be, while thinking about it, I found two deeper question which seemed foundational which were?what′s the best & worst I could educate?myself into??

Contrary to school, where you get delivered the answers first, I found myself only with the test and no idea where to look for the answers.

With my newfound time, I went to the library. I took out biographies of history's most prominent figures. I wanted to study their educations.

And what I found was nothing short of scandalous.?

Here’s what I uncovered about the education of the greatest leaders in history:

1.?Morphean Mentor

Great leaders often had a mentor who instilled in them a sense of destiny. For example, Alexander the Great's mother, Olympias, convinced him he was the son of Zeus. This made him believe he was chosen to lead. Prodigies almost always had a fanatical believer in them. This person made them feel they were destined for greatness. Like Morpheus in Matrix. ?

2.?Specialization

Unlike the generalist approach seen in many modern systems, great leaders were armed with a singular, powerful skill that defined their early training. For example, under Andrea del Verrocchio, Leonardo da Vinci honed his skills in science and art. He became a master of both through deliberate practice.?

3.?Olympic Village

Historic leaders often grew up in or were placed in, growth-oriented, purpose-driven environments. For example,?Plato’s Academy?in Athens served as a haven for philosophy and mathematics, producing some of history’s greatest minds.?

4.?Educational Castration

Public education, fearing charismatic leaders, sidelines subjects that might empower students in leadership and strategy. In contrast, leaders learn vital topics not in public curricula. These include leadership, strategy, persuasion, wealth management, war, and applied human nature. For example, Frederick II of Prussia, despite a limited upbringing, sought to learn about leadership and military strategy. These skills enabled him to lead an empire.?

5.?Tutored by World-Leading Specialists

Great leaders are often educated by the best in their fields. Unlike professional teachers, who are generalists. Augustus Caesar, for instance, was mentored by Marcus Agrippa, Rome's top general.?

6.?Real-Life Stakes, Not Just Theory

The training of leaders I looked at went beyond theory and was rooted in real-world experiences. From a young age, they faced authentic challenges and high-stakes scenarios that tested and forged their leadership abilities.?For example,?Genghis Khan?learned survival and leadership through real-world adversity, rather than hypothetical lessons.?

7.?Mastery Over Themselves

The most powerful leaders ruled themselves first before they ruled over others. The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius practiced Stoicism. It emphasized control over impulses and emotions.?

8.?Adversity & Adventures

The education of history’s great leaders was not cushioned. They often underwent challenges that stretched them to their limits, learning resilience and adaptability through real adversity and experiential adventures.?Theodore Roosevelt, for instance, spent time in the Badlands, which toughened him and prepared him for a life of leadership.?

9.?Relationship With Death

Prodiges are often confronted early on with finite nature of life. This encounter with death or limiation often forced them to think about what their legacy. This constant awareness of time drove them to live with purpose and legacy in mind. The maestro Beethoven for instance, was driven?

10.?Ultra High Agency

Rather than learning to follow, leaders are educated to act independtly. They learned to make choices under pressure and developed a strong sense of agency, independence, and command that would later define their leadership styles.?Napoleon Bonaparte, educated in military school, was given significant responsibility at a young age, learning to command by doing. Chieftain’s programs train students to lead with confidence and initiative, reinforcing the ability to act decisively and independently.

Creating Chieftain Executive University

When I uncovered these educational patterns, it felt like stumbling upon one of history's greatest conspiracies. I realized that the elite education behind the world’s most successful leaders was no accident—it was meticulously crafted around them, purposefully designed to mold them into the most powerful versions of themselves. And if they could shape their destinies this way, so can we. Even if we’re arriving a bit late to the party.?

That’s the vision behind Chieftain Executive University.

We’re not just building a university; we’re building an institution that mimics the education of the greatest executives in history, rooted in the same transformative principles that shaped their paths. More than that, we aim to exceed them. Through ancient teachings and modern technologies we hope to not only help you to build yourself, but also help building a better tomorrow.?

You deserve the best educational tools, teachers, and technologies to reimagine your potential.

You deserve to be invested in.

Thanks for reading?

Daniel?

Founder & CEO of Chieftain

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