Asking if leaders are born or made, is like asking whether or not science can tell us the best outfit to wear – is it for a ball, the beach, a winter walk or a sunny day? So much of what makes a good leader depends on context, says Rob Bailey, Managing Consultant at business psychology specialist, OPP.
The truth is that the origins of good leadership are varied. So, asking a black and white question like “are leaders born or made?” may provide an answer, but not a very useful one. But let us not ignore the starting question entirely – are leaders born or made? According to modern scientific understanding, it appears that roughly 50 percent of our personality is based on our upbringing and 50 percent on our genes. So that is who we are. Then there is where we are: one’s potential to be a good leader will depend on whether or not who we are is compatible with the needs of our current situation, organisation, those we are leading, and maybe even our time and culture. Take Winston Churchill for example: yes, he was a great wartime leader, but much less successful as a peacetime leader. This difference in perceived success seems to have been due to two major things, and how the two interacted. Firstly, the historical circumstances of the times, and secondly, Churchill’s approach.
Churchill’s resolute insistence that Britain would not be defeated was highly effective in motivating the population during a war that could be won. However, the same approach in the face of the unstoppable decline of the British Empire was futile. Churchill’s style suited one circumstance much better than the other; he was a great leader when the times allowed it. Since the time of Churchill, psychological theories about leadership have become increasingly sophisticated. Initially, many psychologists looked simply at the core personality of the individual leader – for example, whether or not the leader was extraverted or dominant. This characterised the understanding of leaders in the 1930s to the 1950s.
As the study of people became more behavioural, leadership science focused on the way that a leader actually behaved, and not just their underlying personality. This led naturally to the evolution of competencies in the 1980s, as attempts were made to describe behaviour according to the business outputs of a leader (e.g. Inspiring Communication, Achieving Excellent Results and so forth). As the eighties evolved, other researchers looked to situational aspects of leadership. The nineties saw a focus upon the interactions between leaders and followers, and then, towards the end of the decade, ‘Emotional Intelligence’ shaped many people’s view of leadership. Recent theories over the last decade have looked at leadership as part of a complex system, and biases and prejudice in leaders. This shows an increased consideration of the ethical and values-based aspects of leadership.
The history of leadership studies shows the variety of factors that could contribute to good leadership. None of these theories is completely off course, nor does any one seem to explain the complete picture. It is a complex one after all. So if the theorists don’t agree, what chance has the pressured leader with a full inbox and battalions of expectant direct reports? How could they be a more effective leader? The answer lies in self-awareness. Before a leader does anything to try to change or develop, he or she should try to understand who they are. They should try to expand their self-awareness in an order similar to the sequence shown in leadership history: Know yourself – understand your personality – e.g. take the 16PF personality questionnaire or the Myers-Briggs assessment; Know what you do – understand not just who you think you are, but how you really behave – e.g. by soliciting 360-degree feedback; Know how you respond to different situations; Know how you interact with others; Know the different motivations of others (how they might like to be treated and how they would be best motivated – e.g. learn the MBTI personality type of your team) and Know what your values are and what you expect of your colleagues and organisation.
Understanding personality can help to stimulate better self-awareness so that leaders can be more confident in finding the best fit for their skills and applying the right leadership at the right time. So born or made? Not all of us are born looking like Brad Pitt or Angelia Jolie, but we can still stand in front of a mirror and decide upon a haircut and clothes that will flatter us. The same can be done with our leadership style; we might not have the idealised or stereotypical leadership profile, but a little self-awareness can help us see our best attributes, cast off some of our own biases and put our best foot forward.
