Is a leader made or born? Why do you think so?

People & LeadershipCulture & Values
2.2k viewscircle icon27 Upvotescircle icon54 Comments
Sort by:
CIO in Healthcare and Biotech2 years ago

You cannot make someone be a leader. However, it does not matter what someone is born to do if they are not given these skills to become a good leader.
Therefore leaders are both born, with natural traits, and created through training and learning.

CFO Advisory Director in Finance (non-banking)2 years ago

Both. I have a 17 year old son that was a natural born leader but with the right experience,environment, encouragement that can really shine.
Ability to have empathy, take every one on the journey ( without really thinking about it ) and always putting in the extra yards.

CEO in Services (non-Government)2 years ago

There are certain characteristics that can be certainly molded with coaching or in some cases emerge after pivotal life or career moments. There are other aspects like ambition and risk taking that are more difficult to modify or learn.

Director of Operations in Banking2 years ago

Clearly mad, just look into the research of Fixed versus Growth mindset, no leader with a fixed mindset in my opinion

Vice President in Services (non-Government)2 years ago

Lions are born not made. Similar to that leaders are born.

Its difficult if not impossible to make a great leader with training or experience. Leadership is a trait and not everyone can become a leader with trainings etc. World needs natural leaders. Nearly 99.9% people love to follow not lead.

Leading needs risk taking ability, quick decision making skills, strong vision and belief in itself.

Content you might like

What do you do to recover quickly from early missteps in a new role? How can you keep initial mistakes from coloring perceptions when you’re still trying to establish your reputation at a new organization?

AI and Research in Marketing and Communications: How Are You Ensuring Quality and Truth Over Speed? As AI becomes embedded in our day-to-day marketing operations, from customer insight to content strategy, it’s clear we’re gaining speed and scale. But are we sacrificing veracity and quality of output in the process? One of the biggest challenges I'm seeing is the rise of hallucinated content in AI-generated research.   - How do we ensure AI systems are surfacing trustworthy, contextually accurate, and well-sourced information? - Are we building enough verification layers into our AI-driven content and research workflows? - And how are you educating teams (and execs) to challenge AI outputs, rather than accept them at face value? - What frameworks, tools, or governance models have you adopted to maintain integrity and depth in AI-led research and insight creation? - Have you had success (or struggles) balancing speed vs. substance in AI-powered strategies? Your thoughts, examples, and recommendations would be incredibly valuable in helping others try to navigate this shift responsibly.

What are the biggest technical challenges preventing organizations from being able to use their existing data to enable digital transformation?

Finding data and putting it to good use13%

Controlling the security and privacy of data45%

Understanding how data is currently being used20%

All of the above19%

None of the above1%

View Results

Curious how others use AI to identify internal talent for open roles or learning pathways? Particularly looking to learn how to best leverage AI to advance internal talent overall.

What will be the effects of AI on meaningful work?

Mostly Replacing18%

Managing the Machine65%

Minding the Machine62%

Amplifying- Productivity Boost37%

View Results
Is a leader made or born? Why do you think so? | Gartner Peer Community