Everyday, people talk about leaders such as Obama, Pope Francis, and Martin Luther King, Jr. They all seem to share some similar traits and have obviously reached a standard of success. All three of them have been able to reach people through their actions and words.. What made them so successful and allowed them to stand out from the rest?

When people are born, they attain certain genes naturally. Of course, we know that people are born with certain facial features and color of hair. We also know nothing such as a ‘leader’ gene exists. That being said, people are born with skills and characteristics that make it easier for them to become a leader. Naturally, some people are more assertive than others, for example. Our genes provide use with our behavioral aptitude, as well as our temperaments and personalities.  It is true that there are child prodigies that are born with extreme talents to play instruments or recount every president by name. Opportunities must arise for talents and skills to be revealed. A person may attain all of the skills and mannerisms of most leaders but may never be provided the chance to lead others. Although a person may be given a talent such as Michael Phelps to swim, he or she must practice in order to really master it.

In all actuality, anyone has the chance to be a leader. A leader is someone who has followers. Unfortunately, anywhere from 50% to even 75% of organizations lack proper leadership. That being said, the leader takes a stand and represents an issue or way of life. Leaders are said to encourage and inspire people. They should aim to be visionary, decisive, relatable, and be willing to take responsibility for their choices.  People grow, develop, and attain skills to be more of a leader throughout time. According to Warren Blank, there are 108 skills that make a natural born leader.   No one can represent or attain all 108, unfortunately. Leaders represent so many different companies and ways of life that it is hard to pinpoint what makes a person one. There are many who claim leaders are born with extreme amounts of persistence, intelligence, and energy. It is said parents provide the building blocks to success for becoming a leader. Senior vice presidents and highly ranked military leaders have been interviewed saying their parents raised them with high moral character and have challenged them to be better people.

There is a counterargument that points to why genes are responsible for the jobs people obtain. For example, some people are not tall enough to play in the NBA.   IQ and OCEAN (personality) tests reveal how people differ from the early stages of life. People can obtain a mutation that causes one to be antisocial, known as Huntington’s disease. People can be born more social, athletic, and so on. Although this argument is relevant, people still must work hard to perfect their skills and must be provided an opportunity to really take the shape of leader.

The important lesson to learn here is that people are given advantages in life that may elevate their likelihood of landing a job or leadership position. However, it takes much time and practice. In addition, an opportunity must be present in which a person attains followers and represents something of great importance.