We’ve all heard the old adage “(S)He’s a born leader.” This saying is something I have personally heard all throughout my life. However, when really thought about, this sends a pretty strong message that people are born leaders and if such people were born leaders then that what makes someone a “born” leader? Is it inherited? If my mom is a “born” leader, does that automatically make me a leader? What if I do not want to be a leader? If I was born to be one, will I be one anyway? This seems kind of silly to me, but that’s just my opinion.
The trait approach was studied to determine what makes great leaders (Northouse, 2013). Northouse (2013) points out five major characteristics that are considered “major” leadership traits, which include intelligence, self-confidence, determination, integrity, and sociability. I agree that these are all good traits that encompass some other good traits (sociability would include charisma, outgoingness, friendly, for example) for a leader to have. However, are all of these traits and the traits fall under them traits that we are born with? Let’s think about this. Are you born with self-confidence? Or is that something that is fostered in you as a child by the way your parents raise you? Anyone who has taken any developmental or social psychology courses would be knowledgeable in such theories like Bandura’s social learning theory. Bandura conducted a very popular experiment with a Bobo doll on aggressive behaviors. You can watch a short clip HERE. How about Skinner’s behaviorism approach? Jean Piaget was a developmental psychologist who suggested that children learn through their experiences and interactions. So, therefore, can’t these leadership traits be learned instead of born? There are some traits that I think are definitely inherited such as intelligence. However, of the five traits mentioned by Northouse, that is the only thing that I can see as something that is inherited.
I just spent the last four years of my life working in a daycare on a military base. I have spent a lot of time with children from the ages of 3-6 years old and in my four years of working there I can tell you that some kids are just smarter than others. Some of this is because of the time they spend with their parents and some of it is just because they are more gifted than others. I think most of us can relate to such things just in our education as children. Some kids had “it” and some kids didn’t. Through working with children at this age, I have learned though, that they are giant sponges. Some of them have been socialized well and some have not. Some have confidence and some do not. I think that to an extent, this can be something they are “born” with, but I really and truly believe that children are largely influenced by the interactions they have in their lives. If Jenny is always encouraged to try things on her own and she is encouraged to be brave and talk to that little girl across the playground that she wants to play with, if she is encouraged from a young age to stand up for herself, if her caregivers let her fail and teach her how to deal with it and if they praise her successes, this is going to create a much different persona than Jimmy whose parents do everything for him and he is not encouraged to be social with other kids his age and he is never taught how to deal with success and failure.
The bottom line is that yes, there are certain traits that we are born with that assist in our leadership abilities. However, many of the important traits listed are traits that can be learned or fostered from a young age based on a child’s environment and their parent’s views and how they raise their children. Thus, as of now, I don’t really subscribe to the notion that there are natural born leaders. There are many ways to become a leader. Traits are important, but just because you possess a certain trait does not mean that you were born
Northouse, P.G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications
Bandura original footage [Web]. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWsxfoJEwQQ
I found your article interesting, specially as it relates to genetic factors or characteristics that predispose some to leadership. I have two sons with opposite personalities, the youngest is extraverted, while the eldest is introverted. From a very early age, before my his first birthday, my youngest began to exhibit characteristics we found unusual. At just three months, he would make eye contact with people while I was in line to pay at supermarkets and give a faint smile, by the age of two he would readily engage in conversation with people he would meet for the first time and be the spokesman for his older brother. Now both my children are teenagers and their personalities have become more defined, I can see the advantages for my younger son when communicating his goals and there is a definite tendency to want to lead in almost every situation. However, my eldest is often asked to lead as captain of a team and is put in charge when difficult situations have occasionally occurred. His introversion has not changed; I can see a degree of emotional and social intelligence developing in him.
Janelle,
I thought that your blog entry was very well thought out and put together. I like the arguement of nature v. nuture in this context. I agree with you that most tendencies associated with leadership is learned through socialization and life experience, I also agree that genetics do make some tendencies easier to pick up. Your example of a day care center is right on, some kids are social animals and some are shy, but they do tend to balance out through socialization. My 3 year old sonn is the center of attention in my home, he dominates his 9 year old sisters attention, however when placed outside his comfort zone of my home he can be extremely shy until he warms up to the situation. This to me is an easy reinforcement of your concept. I believe that there is some genetics involved in leadership, but it is minimal, thus leadership becomes a learned skill.
Thanks for the post,
Michael
Even if natural born leaders did exist, it boils down to a list of traits. The big five being intelligence, self-confidence, determination, integrity, and sociability (Northouse 2010). Those are 5 powerful traits, but you would certainly not be “destined” to be a leader simply based on genetics as the phrase ‘born to be one’ in your first paragraph implies. These traits are perfectly applicable to excelling at pretty much anything you would put your mind to.
I do think that all of these 5 traits we mention are inheritable to a point. Genetics lay the groundwork, and the environment serves to foster them. That being said, even if you have no specific predetermination as to being social, you can still be a very sociable person if in your environmental conditions you grow up under the right circumstances. They work together under the umbrella of an ultimate potential. Someone may be predisposed to contracting emphysema more easily than others. If they grow up in a house where no one smokes and they are taught not too, and follow that as an adult then that will never even be an issue (Behavioral Genetics 2008). Genes dictate potentials, environment determines how it is carried out.
I agree with the comment about children being giant sponges. Currently I’m babysitting a one year old and a three year old during the week away from home to help a friend. Even the one year old picks up every little weird thing I do. Such as clicking my tongue as I looked in the fridge, thinking of what I could make their mom and I for dinner. I close the fridge and he’s sitting in his high chair clicking his tongue at me in some fashion. I must make a lot of random noises, as their mother has said her kids are making all sorts of new and different noises this last couple weeks.
I agree that these traits can be learned. I also believe that genetics do play a factor as well in setting an ultimate potential. I do think that there are probably those that are natural born leaders, however they are not by any means the only ones who can lead. I think anyone can be a leader in the right situation. The definition of leadership is that it is a process where one person influences a group of people for one common goal (Northouse 2010). Nothing in that definition dictates how the leader became a leader in the first place, and I don’t believe we should either.
References:
Behavioral Genetics.(2008). Retrieved September 6, 2012 from, http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/behavior.shtml
Northouse, Peter G. (2010). Leadership, Theory and Practice. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Pubications.