WHETHER LEADERS ARE BORN OR MADE?
The question on whether leaders are made or born has been debated and argued by many scholars for a continued period of time over decades now. Several scholars who have researched and written on this topic have used various theories and example to argue out their views. However there is no single clear answer on whether a leader is born or made. This paper adopts the answer ‘yes and no’ approach to the question under investigation. The general scope of argument on this topic is broad but the arguments made in this paper will focus on the analysis of the various ingredients that make a leader and how one comes to possess these ingredients. The factual analysis about leadership is based on results published in journals and books by various reputable scholars within their respective fields.
ARE LEADERS BORN OR MADE?
Before advancing this argument, we need to answer the question; who is a leader? The obvious answer that rings in one’s mind will simply be “a leader is a person or a being that leads”. However it is important to understand that the idea of leadership is more complex than just the understanding of the term ‘leading’. The term leadership has various implicatures such as; giving directions to individuals, motivator, inspire, guiding others, taking responsibility amongst others. Some people have argued that a ‘leader’ and ‘leadership’ are two distinct entities, but in this paper, we will argue out the two as related entities as will be explained later on. The complexity of defining the concept of leadership and who a leader is, leads us to the next big question; where do leaders come from? Are they born or made?
Warren (2009:4) argues that in a nation and a world as complex and fluid as ours, we cannot function without leaders. People need someone to serve the function of ensuring the effectiveness of an organization, to serve as anchors and uphold the integrity of our institutions. According to him the basic ingredients of a leader are; guiding vision, passion, and integrity and trust (p34). Therefore the first ingredient implies that a leader should have clear idea of what he or she wants to do. The second ingredient implies that a leader should be one who loves what he/she does. The third ingredient implies that a leader should be in possession of some underlying promises of life combined with a particular passion for a vocation. It is obvious that these three ingredients touch on integrity and character.
Hussein Ali Salad 