Are leaders born or made?

While many of us must have heard people of eminence described as “natural born leaders”, the famous football coach Thomas Lombardi said “Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And just like anything else, through hard work.” So, which of these thoughts is true? Are leaders born or made?

?There is truth to both sides of the coin.?It is common for leaders to utilize natural, inherent traits. But they may have developed or discovered these key leadership traits via environments they were raised in, experiences they encountered, or they may simply possess them naturally. It is most often a combination of both - deep-rooted traits, as well as skills,

picked up along the way. So, whether you were born with exceptional leadership qualities or not, if you want to be a leader you’re going to have to work to learn and refine the characteristics of the greats. Here are a few vital traits that are imperative for leadership:

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The Ability to Inspire

A designation does not make a leader inspirational. Rather, it's the ability to drive people to reach their peak potential and to demonstrate the qualities employees will follow by choice—passion, purpose, and vision.

The leader must demonstrate this commitment and passion in every meeting, presentation, and in how they handle problems.

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Empathy

A leader must possess emotional intelligence and employ feelings for motivating, planning, and forming bonds with other people. Empathy is an essential part of that equation. Showing empathy means understanding how others feel and connecting with them on an emotional level. It’s how leaders solve conflicts, motivate, and behave in any social setting. A good leader should be comfortable giving more than he gets

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Time management

It is not only important that a leader gets the job done. It is imperative that they do so in time. Additionally, a primary reason leaders exist is to serve others, and if most of the leader’s time is not focused on their teams, it’s time for them to evaluate the effectiveness of their time management.

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Risk-taking

Those who learn and can take the best risks will drive the best performance. With the way things are changing and evolving in the business world unless you’re a risk-taker, you’re just not going to be able to capitalize on the opportunities that exist out there. That doesn’t mean being reckless, it means being transparent and honest.

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Self-awareness

Self-awareness in leadership can help you, as a leader, understand what you bring to your role. Having self-awareness means knowing where you thrive and where you should improve. Understand the impact they have on the company and its stakeholders. It helps when you are personable as a leader and sharp with your decision-making.

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In conclusion, leaders are born and made. While many leaders possess traits that come naturally to them, they also have characteristics that they have developed over the years. Mentorship and experience are among the best ways to build leadership capabilities.