Is there such a thing as “natural born leaders?”
No. There I said it.
Why? Well to be honest, this has just not been my experience. I’ve coached hundreds of leaders during my careers and that concept alone (that they are strengthening an existing skill, learning a new skill etc.) conveys the point that leaders aren’t born with everything they need.
I do support many ideas about leadership.
I can support one common idea, which is that leadership is the ‘ability to influence others to the extent that they are mobilized in the pursuit of a shared goal’.
This remains as important as ever for leaders because others are needed to embrace a vision, implement a strategy and deliver on commitments.
I can also support the idea that a degree of charisma, ‘executive presence’, confidence and a myriad of other traits are not only going to facilitate the ability to influence and mobilize others, but in fact can be easier for some people to have than others.
But do I believe people are born with these traits? No, for the simple reason that we are in part, a product of our upbringing, and we learn by observation and experience.
People can learn to be more confident. People can learn to have greater presence. People can learn to be charismatic. Rather than say there are natural born leaders “determined by factors present in an individual from birth” – shouldn’t we just say leadership may come more easily to some than others?
Moreover, if you consider the underlying contributors to such traits as charisma – the ability to tell stories, strong communication skills, demonstrated empathy – these are also learned (meaning people aren’t born with an ability to tell stories, at least not that I’m aware of!).
Perhaps more importantly, in today’s business context – where geopolitical issues permeate workplaces, global competition is greater than any time before in history, psychologically safe environments are fast becoming the expectation and right of employees – charisma, confidence and presence alone just won’t cut it.
Leadership, its evolution, and our understanding of it, has changed precisely because the traits that some assume are ‘natural’ are simply insufficient.
Leadership is too complex and demands so many more layers of depth, that it is simply a falsehood to say there are natural born leaders.
The real risk in doing so, is that we ignore or diminish the notion of leadership development and perpetuate leadership stereotypes that no longer serve us. And if we do that, then all the benefits accrued with self-improvement are also diminished.
And that just doesn’t make sense to me.