Are You Born Or Made A Leader? Please Respond To The Followi

Are You Born Or Made A Leaderplease Respond To The Following

Are you born or made a leader? Please respond to the following: go to the Psychology Today website and read the article titled “Leaders: Born or Made?” Then choose two (2) of your favorite leaders, and discuss whether you believe each of the chosen people were born or made leaders. Make sure to give supporting statements as to why you believe a certain way.

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

The debate over whether leadership qualities are innate or developed has persisted for decades. The question "Are leaders born or made?" underscores the complexity of leadership traits and their origins. According to Psychology Today (2019), leadership is influenced by both inherent qualities and environmental factors. This paper explores this debate by examining two prominent leaders: Nelson Mandela and Elon Musk, analyzing whether each exemplifies born or made leadership qualities.

Nelson Mandela: A Made Leader

Nelson Mandela exemplifies the view that leaders are made through resilience, education, and moral development. Mandela's early life was marked by adversity; he grew up in a rural village under the apartheid regime in South Africa. Despite the hardships, Mandela actively pursued education and became involved in anti-apartheid activism (Sampson, 1999). His leadership qualities were cultivated through his experiences, ideological training, and perseverance during nearly three decades of imprisonment. Mandela’s ability to forgive, strategize, and unite a divided nation reflects learned qualities fostered through hardship and conviction (Lodge, 2007). These characteristics suggest that Mandela's leadership was shaped by deliberate effort, education, and exposure to social struggles, supporting the idea that leaders are made.

Elon Musk: A Born Leader

Elon Musk exemplifies characteristics often associated with born leaders, including exceptional vision, risk-taking propensity, and innate innovation. From a young age, Musk demonstrated extraordinary intelligence and a keen interest in technology and science. Childhood traits such as curiosity, confidence, and a propensity for problem-solving suggest innate qualities that propelled his success (Vance, 2015). Musk’s ability to pioneer electric vehicles, space exploration, and renewable energy highlights natural innovation and a visionary mindset. His confident decision-making, even in the face of failure, suggests that certain leadership tendencies are innate. Therefore, Musk's leadership qualities seem rooted in inherent traits combined with experiential learning, but with a strong foundation in natural talent.

Discussion and Analysis

The contrasting examples of Mandela and Musk demonstrate that leadership can stem from both innate qualities and cultivated skills. Psychological research supports a mixed model, where natural personality traits can predispose individuals to leadership roles, but effective leadership also requires skills, education, and experience (Northouse, 2018). Mandela's story underscores the importance of environmental influence, moral development, and perseverance, whereas Musk’s example emphasizes innate intelligence, creativity, and risk tolerance. The interplay between born traits and learned behaviors suggests that leadership is rarely exclusively one or the other; instead, it is a dynamic combination.

Research indicates that traits such as extraversion, openness to experience, and emotional stability are associated with effective leadership and may have innate components (Judge et al., 2002). Conversely, leadership development programs, mentorship, and experiential learning play vital roles in transforming potential into effective leadership performance (Avolio & Gardner, 2005). Both Mandela and Musk show how innate qualities can be complemented or enhanced by external factors, emphasizing that leadership development benefits from a holistic approach considering both nature and nurture.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the question of whether leaders are born or made does not have a definitive answer; rather, leadership emerges from a combination of innate attributes and experiential development. Nelson Mandela's life illustrates how perseverance, moral integrity, and education can cultivate leadership qualities, supporting the view that leaders are made. Elon Musk demonstrates how innate traits such as intelligence and vision can provide a foundation for leadership potential, which is further refined through experience. Recognizing the interplay between inherent qualities and developmental processes is essential in understanding leadership dynamics and fostering effective leaders.

References

• Agency, A. (2018). Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Sage Publications.
• Avolio, B. J., & Gardner, W. L. (2005). Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root of positive forms of leadership. Leadership Quarterly, 16(3), 315-338.
• Psychology Today. (2019). Leaders: Born or Made? Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com
• Judge, T. A., Bono, J. E., Ilies, R., & Gerhardt, M. W. (2002). Personality and leadership: A qualitative and quantitative review. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(4), 765.
• Lodge, T. (2007). Nelson Mandela: A Biography. Oxford University Press.
• Sampson, A. (1999). Mandela: The authorized biography. Harper Perennial.
• Vance, A. (2015). Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future. Harper Business.