Can good leadership be taught - Essay Example

"Can good leadership be taught'' It has been a point of debate if leadership skills are inborn or they can be taught. Researchers have been struggling to find an appropriate answer to this. However, it is not unjust to say that the answer to this question contains an equal portion of both statements. The answer to this question has been given attention for the reason that it may help organizations have effective leaders. Brainpower is the only thing that requires being in a person naturally. Knowledge can be gained, skills can be learnt but intelligence cannot be generated. A person needs to be intelligent and sharp in order to gain knowledge and utilize it. Leadership requires certain traits in a person. These traits include strength of mind, interest to resolve issues, ready to face challenges, power to proceed with plans, will to succeed, determination and passion (Levicki, 2008). To make my opinion more clear and effective I would describe Managerial work and leadership. Managerial work is closely linked to leadership. A leader is a person who carry out plans and knows what to do, whereas, a manager is a person who knows how to do things and how would they actually complete a particular task. For instance, a student who is making a plan to carry out a stage performance on some occasion and take the responsibility to select the performers too, is not only acting as a leader but also working as a manager. Leaders normally work as managers too. For this reason we may say that leadership requires managerial skills too. Hence, we may conclude that leadership and managerial work are joined together to achieve the goal successfully. Managerial qualities can be taught to the person by giving proper management education. In simple words, a person can be taught to plan, organize and control things (Hanrikson, 2008). Leadership and managerial work are common observable facts that there are no general rules that creates leadership events or leadership methods, or for that issue great leaders. Managerial work and leadership are made cooperatively. Therefore, the only way to understand leadership correctly is the basic knowledge in group sciences. In simple words, managerial work is the process of describing and calculating the victory. A leader is the person who puts forward the plan, explains success, and confirms the capability of success. It is clear that a leader who assures these things will be more competent than other leader who desires to put the idea but refuses to accept any work in the managerial part (Clark, Clark & Albright, 1990). Hence, effective leader is the one who have power over people and whose decisions are binding on others. Everyone possesses leadership potential. Effective Leadership can, & normally does, emerge from the inside. Effective leadership requires the leader to take the whole group along. It is not necessary to involve the whole group in decisions regarding the group's success however; the members of group are 'helpers'. These 'helpers', if motivated and encouraged to work together, may quicken the process of success. Motivation emerges with the feeling to improve the surroundings. An effective leader must know that motivation is the key to improve the group's performance and the chances of success. Motivation, however, is not easy. It requires continuous performance appraisal and strong communication skills. This is the point from where effective leadership enters. Effective leadership requires the leader to choose the tasks for the group. A leader may also take suggestions from other group members but it may end up in losing the actual aim of the group. Hence, an effective leader should keep a strict watch over the performance and path of the group if it is moving towards achieving its goals or not. All these techniques to keep the group together and to motivate them and decision making techniques can be taught (FBI, 2007). The difference among success and failure of a team or group can be determined by leadership. Leadership divides the achievers from the spectators. And it's what gives the way to persons and associations. The line "Leaders are Born, Not made", explains that leadership is a trait, a natural part of one's structure, rather than a quality to get sooner or later. The basis of Self-Leadership is that everybody is able to expand leadership talents and traits. This is true, to some extent, that leaders are born and not made. To lead, you require some qualities such as strength of mind, the eagerness to determine, defy the class quo, proceed for what you accepted as true, hazard, negative responses, rise up against power, and modify (Graf, 2004). No one is born with any talent, not even a great singer or a great player. Everyone, however, is born with a potential to do a certain thing. If leadership means having a challenging personality then a leader requires being demanding and a bit stubborn in the early stages of life. This nature of a person may help him in future to be a good leader or an aggressive loser. It all depends on the perception, teachings and guidance provided to a person from his childhood to his adulthood. Nature provides us with certain qualities and we need to utilize them correctly. However, it will not be just to say that 'Leadership is an innate quality'. It is just some natural features that give people a starting point. A person who is shy enough to discuss his own needs and requirements cannot be taught to lead a group, team or nation. The fact to notice is that natural features count a lot on the career or position a person wants to achieve. A person, who does not have controlling qualities, may still be taught to become a leader. He can still be chosen as a leader but his soft tone and compromising nature may affect the team's performance and may divert the group away from the goals (Casse & Claudel, 2007). Earlier theories of leadership rejected the idea that leaders have a number of natural qualities because they acknowledged leadership with the individualism and skill to convince group members. However, the earlier theories ignored the fact that there are a number of techniques to control people. The idea is to be creative, use excellent communication skills to persuade others and to demand success using different expressions. These qualities can be adopted by practicing and observing them closely (Knight, 2002). Hence we can say that some traits of leadership are inborn and other can simply be taught to the leader. Persons might have heredity, family background or further resources impelling them into leadership, however leadership can also be erudite and encouraged by other leaders and institutes. Leadership is explained as a general set of policies based on the behavior, opinions and feelings that everyone employ to control over themselves. Leadership techniques can be taught but one cannot impose the duty of being a leadership on anyone. It is a person's willingness and determination that helps him achieve a certain task (garic, 2006). In conclusion, we can say that a number of leadership traits are inborn but they need to be polished and improved in order to create an effective leader. Leadership theories and enthusiastic practice to become a successful leader can help a person get succeeded in his task. Leadership can be taught but a person can only be a great leader when he has certain inborn qualities along with a willingness to achieve and the quality to persuade others on his command. Bibliography: HENRIKSON M. (2006). Great leaders are made, not born. AWHONN Lifelines / Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. 10. KNIGHT, S. (2002). Leaders are made rather than born. [U.K.], Einstein Network. CLARK, K. E., CLARK, M. B., & ALBRIGHT, R. R. (1990). Measures of leadership. West Orange, NJ, Leadership Library of America. LEVICKI, C. (1998). The Leadership Gene: Leaders are born not made. MANAGEMENT TODAY -LONDON-. 85. GRAF, J. (2004). Leaders are Born, Not Made... and Other Popular Myths. JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY. 56, 28-29. garic, d. "Are Leaders Born or Made' " SUPERVISION. 67. 12 (2006): 19-20. (2007). Effective Leaders. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin. 76, 20-21. CASSE, P., & CLAUDEL, P. G. (2007). Philosophy for creative leadership: how philosophy can turn people into more effective leaders. London, Athena. Read More