09.05.08

London Business School 's Nigel Nicholson took a closer look at whether leaders are born or made. And whether it's possible to create leaders within a company.

He believes that the most important prerequisite is a desire to lead, and there are three kinds of people:

• People who have a strong drive to lead, and often don't care too much what kind of circumstance they lead in.
• People who never want to be leaders - they have other ambitions and interests.
• People who are prepared to be leaders, but only under specific circumstances.

Most of us are in the third group, while the first group is the smallest. Group two is larger, and actually includes some people who could be quite good leaders if they wanted to.

A lot of the drive to lead is underpinned by inherited genes. However, the real question you are asking is about effectiveness. Wanting to lead is not enough - you have to have the capability.

This means being the right person doing the right things in the right place.

The key to effectiveness is:

a) correctly reading the situation you are in and what behaviours it requires

b) being willing and able to do what needs to be done.

Most leaders fail firstly because they don't read the situation well, and especially how it changes; and secondly, because their personality, values, and abilities make them unwilling or unable to do what needs to be done.

Organisational politics often governs point a). But point b) is down to what sort of person you are.

So the answer is, many leadership capabilities are inborn or take a lifetime to develop, but there are many ways of being a leader and most of the key skills can be learned - if you're motivated to do so.

Steve Benfield, Principal Consultant of The Beech Consultancy certainly agrees that the key skills can be learned. Steve comments “No matter how good your product or service is, your business isn't going to expand unless you can inspire your employees and drive your company forward.”

He continued, “That’s why we work with organisations and individuals to develop their leadership potential so that a sustainable outcome is achieved. We work with and challenge values and beliefs as this is often what gets in the way of a good leader becoming a great leader.”

The question is. How willing are you to lead?

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