LEADERS ARE BORN OR MADE

There are a number of scenarios which confirms the assertion that leaders are actually born and not made. One of the evidences is that leaders are noticed when they are still very young. They are first recognized during childhood in schoolyards. There are kids who are always ready to assume command while still in school and leadership skills to them appears to be so effortless (Waldman, Bernard & Walter 2009). These child-leaders are characterized by a great desire for adventure and thinks very quickly whenever they are on the field. They are always ready to take positions of responsibility such as becoming class monitors. This is clear evidence that leaders are born with leadership traits in them (Wagner 2009).

This belief is also supported by the Great Man’s theory which asserts that great leaders are born with all the required internal features such as intelligence, confidence, social skills and charisma and these features make them leaders who are naturally born (Waldman 2009). Apart from the leadership traits exhibited by children while they are still young, we have leaders whose leadership skills were not learnt but they were born with these skills (Waldman 2009). Two examples of these leaders are Margaret Thatcher and Sir Winston Churchill. Margaret Thatcher and Sir Winston Churchill are credited for being the most outstanding British Prime ministers since World War II. These two leaders who did not attend any school to learn leadership skills confirm the assertion that leaders are actually born and not made (Seltzer & Bernard 2008).

Made leaders

There is a belief that leaders are made because it is not possible to have a leader born with all the required leadership qualities. I believe that effective leadership is a product of being born with the right leadership attributes. This is due to the fact that leadership is a complex undertaking due to processes and groups involved (Dalglish & Miller 2010; Dao 2008). Therefore, leading a military unit, an organization or a nation is a very complex task. Leaders can therefore be developed, but there should inborn characteristics that make people to be more suited for leadership positions. Extraversion, assertiveness, boldness and risk taking are all characteristics which increase the effectiveness of a leader and which cannot be learnt (Conger 2009). Additionally, intelligence is another factor that makes confirms the assertion that leaders are actually born when compared to learnt leadership. In the absence of intelligence, it is not possible to train effective leaders. Therefore, it is only possible to train somebody to become an effective leader if he or she is intelligent. Intelligence is a characteristic that is not attained through learning, but born in a person. This intelligence is what makes a person to know what the followers want and want they don’t want (Waldman 2009).

Therefore, from this discussion, it is evident that the most crucial aspects of leadership originate from inborn traits as compared to learnt leadership strategies. Despite the fact that both inborn and learnt aspects of leadership are important, inborn traits are more important because they form a foundation for learning advanced leadership strategies. This is the reason why I strongly believe that leaders are born and not made.

References

Conger, J 2009, ‘Developing leadership capability: What’s inside the black box?’,  Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 18, No. 3, pp136-139.

Dalglish, C, & Miller, P 2010, Leadership: Understanding its Global Impact, 1^st  Edition, Tilde University Press, Prahran.

Dao, F 2008, Without Confidence, There is No Leadership – Self Confidence –     Leadership. [Online] Available at:  <http://www.inc.com/resources/leadership/articles/20080301/dao.html> [Accessed 10^th September, 2019]

Seltzer, J, & Bernard, B 2008, ‘Transformational Leadership Beyond Initiation and Consideration’, Journal of Management, Vol. 14, No. 4, pp 693-703.

Wagner, T 2009, ‘Leadership for learning: An action theory of school change’, Phi Delta, pp4-11

Waldman, A 2009, Management by Example: Developing Transformational Leaders,      Business, pp 23-28.

Waldman, A, Bernard, M, & Walter, E 2009, “Leadership and Outcomes of   Performance Appraisal Processes”, Journal of Occupational Psychology, Vol. 60, no 3, pp177-86.

Pros and cons Of the Style Approach

Theories of Leadership in Management

In 2005, leadership expert john Maxwell identified influence as the true measure of leadership. This role of a leader is, eventually, to influence team members to accomplish a given task  while fostering team cohesion and motivation, In 1939, social scientist  kurt Lewin applied his theories to organization  development and identified three leadership styles : authoritarian, participative/democratic and laissez - faire. Each style   assists the manager in adopting the right approach according to the context of a given situation.

Authoritarian Leader

An authoritarian leader adopts a dominant and dictatorial approach when leading his team members, Authoritarian leadership enforces authority by strict rules and procedures rather than encouraging teamwork. An Authoritarian leadership style first best in urgent and stressful situations. Such situation call for a firm and resolute leader who is able to make decisions  without consulting team members, However, an autocratic leader can easily cultivate passive resistance in his followers, resulting in lower performance from team members.   

pros	cons
It allows for fast decisions to be made.  It improves overall communication.  It improves productivity.   It handles crisis situations effectively.   It reduces employee stress.   It counters team inexperience.	It often leads to micromanagement.  It does not offer a sense of professional ownership.  It creates a work culture based on the leader.   It creates a system of dependence.   It creates a lack of trust.

  Democratic Leader

The democratic or Democratic leader involves team members in the decision making process. He fosters participation among his followers and aims to provide guidance rather than authority. This type of leadership aims to motivate and empower team members. The focus on participation and group decision - making creates a sense of belonging in the team. At times, however, the democratic leader can be perceived as insecure and unable to come to a final decision without first consulting his followers,

pros

cons

Iworks well when trying to solve a complex concern It encourages creativity It strengthens the relationships of a team  It is a leadership style that anyone can practice It encourages honesty within the workplace  It improves job satisfaction It encourages stronger commitment levels  It increases team knowledge   It builds a stronger vision for the future

It can create negative emotions            It can lead to procrastination            It takes time to reach a consensus            It offers an element of continuing uncertainty            It is often poorly defined           It does not guarantee the best possible solution           It is not a style of leadership for everyone            It can cause team members to question the capabilities of the leadership            It encourages no one to take responsibility for failure            It requires a certain skill or educational level

Laissez - Faire Leader

The laissez - faire or free reign leader scarcely provide direction to his team members. Control in the group is minimal; authority is shared among members. The free reign approach can prove an effective type of leadership when the team has achieved identity and cohesion, resulting in motivated and resourceful team members. In such situations the sharing of authority and minimal direction empowers team members. The lack of direction in laissez - faire leadership, though, can result in demotivated team members. Team members can feel lost and unsupported by their leader.

pros

cons

·         It allows team members to maximize their own leadership skills. ·         It provides the people with the most experience to shine. ·         It creates an environment of independence. ·         It encourages team members to explore new ideas. ·         It allows individual teams to create their own environment. ·         It generates more individual satisfaction for the work being done.         It provides the leader to be strategic with their skills

·         It downplays the role of the leader on the team. ·         It reduces the cohesiveness of the group. ·         It changes how accountability is assigned within the group. ·         It allows leaders to avoid leadership. ·         It is a leadership style which employees can abuse. ·         It can be difficult to adapt to changing situations. ·         It creates opportunities for employee litigation. ·         It creates silos.

References

Journal of Docial Psychology "Patterns of Aggressive Behavior in Experimentally Created Social Climates" Lewin. K. Lippit, R. And White, R,K, 1939

"the 360-Degree Leader : Developing Your Influence From Anywhere in the Organization" John C. Maxwell. 2005        

Leaders are managers. But managers are not necessarily leaders

Leadership is a method by which a person encouragements others to perform an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. This definition is similar to Northouse's (2007, p3) definition — Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. Leaders carry out this process by applying their leadership knowledge and skills. This is called Process Leadership (Jago, 1982). However, we know that we have characteristics that can influence our actions. This is called Trait Leadership (Jago, 1982), in that it was once common to believe that leaders were born rather than made. While leadership is learned, the skills and knowledge processed by the leader can be influenced by his or hers attributes or traits; such as beliefs, values, ethics, and character. Knowledge and skills contribute directly to the process of leadership,  

Good leaders are made not born. If you have the desire and willpower, you can become an effective leader. Good leaders develop through a never ending process of self-study, education, training, and experience (Jago, 1982). This guide will help you through that process. 

"Management is the organizational process that includes strategic planning, setting objectives, managing resources, deploying the human and financial assets needed to achieve objectives, and measuring results.  Management also includes recording and storing facts and information for later use or for others within the organization.  Management functions are not limited to managers and supervisors. Every member of the organization has some management and reporting functions as part of their job." (Knowledge Management Terms, 2009)

Leadership and management are the terms that are considered equal. It is important to understand that leadership is a critical part of good management. As an essential component of management, remarkable leadership behavior tensions upon building an environment in which each and every employee develops and shines. Leadership is defined as the possible to impact and motivation the group efforts towards the accomplishment of objectives. This influence may make from formal sources, such as that provided by achievement of managerial position in an organization.

A manager must have qualities of a leader, i.e., he must possess leadership qualities. Leaders develop and begin strategies that build and stand good benefit. Organizations require strong leadership and strong management for optimum organizational productivity

Bibliography

[1] Jago, A. G. (1982). Leadership: Perspectives in theory and research. Management Science, 28(3), 315-336.

[2] Northouse, G. (2007). Leadership theory and practice. (3rd ed.) Thousand Oak, London, New Delhe, Sage Publications, Inc.

 [3] Rowe, W. G. (2007). Cases in Leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications

Leadership Management: Principles, Models and Theories 317

Others Journal and Magazine

1. Journal of commerce

2. Journal of management

3. Knowledge Management Terms, 2009