Are leaders born or made? This is a hot topic for debate amongst various schools of thoughts. For centuries people have debated whether leaders are born or made and the debate continues to be a rather grey area.

But how is it that some know how to engage and excite? Is it an innate ability? Or, is it something that can be learnt, something that can evolve and grow?

Process of Evolution

We often hear the term “natural born leader” however, I have been conducting research on Leadership Perception Inventory programmes over a number of years with hundreds of executives across South Africa, and selected African countries and I have come to believe that leadership is definitely a process of evolution. Let me explain why.

Genetics and early teachings from parents and family play a significant role in developing ones personality and interpersonal skills. I believe it goes beyond genetics and boils down to life’s lessons learnt from early childhood right through to ones working life. Life’s experiences play an influential role in shaping a leader. Leaders take life lessons and hardships as well as their innate character traits and utilize them in the corporate world.

Evaluate and Engage

A good leader understands that leadership is a process of learning. We often take negative feedback too personally when in fact it is this very feedback that can help nurture a great leader. A leader reflects on his behaviours through the eyes of those around him. In order to progress, one has to continually evaluate and engage in feedback.

Honing your skills to make you a good leader

At Change Partners, as a component of our coaching initiative, our Analysis Team has honed the ability of pin pointing the specific behaviours and characteristics that lead to the perceptions a leader ‘carries’, as well as the influence a leader exerts over his team. Uncovering these specifics then gives a leader a focus for change or renewed confidence.

The Leadership Perception Inventory process gathers information through face-to-face interviews conducted by experienced analysts. In the seven years that the Leadership analysis team has gathered appropriate data, Change Partners has re-looked at how we attain and use feedback with the specific aim of helping many executive leaders evolve and grow in leadership… that “grey area”.

Central to the Leadership Perception Inventory is the concept of community learning. Learning and growing is then a community affair, with the community highlighting defining benchmarks in your life, whether they be good or bad. We believe that it is through embracing community learning and becoming comfortable with effective feedback, that true change becomes possible.

World renowned theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking recently coined the phrase, “self-designed evolution”. Leadership is not something mythical or innate, and with the right reflective tools leaders can definitely evolve and grow.

By Kerryn Irvin, Head of Perception Analysis Team at Change Partners