Post by Zadkiel on Jul 7, 2016 9:45:01 GMT
The belief that leaders are born, not made, is one of the longest standing misconceptions in leadership. The idea that leaders are born with special attributes that make them different from followers can be found as far back as the writings of Plato and Aristotle. Plato maintained that only a select few have the superior wisdom required to lead others, while Aristotle believed that people are marked from birth for subjugation or command. Indeed, nothing could be further from the truth. While people may be born with certain predispositions for leadership, most leadership skills can be learned through the right combination of study, practice, and experience. For example, a leader's abilities to communicate effectively, build trust and motivate others can all be improved with training, practice and feedback. While an officer who is naturally a 4 (on a scale of 1–10) may never develop leadership skills that rate a 10, he or she can, nonetheless, improve to a 7 or 8.
