| The great debate for the last century has been | | | | Leaders are Not Born is also support by two well |
| over whether "leaders are born, or leaders are | | | | respected academic leadership scholars, and best |
| made." There have been are biographies, books | | | | selling authors: University of Southern California, |
| and articles, and more recently movies and | | | | Marshall Graduate School of Business, Professor |
| television coverage about good and bad leadership. | | | | Dr. Warren Bennis, and Harvard University |
| The media has provided insights into the lives of | | | | Graduate School of Business Professor (Emeritus) |
| leaders, how they led, what their successes and | | | | Dr. John Kotter. Bennis and Kotter have both |
| failure were, and how some overcame obstacles | | | | agreed with me and they have both made similar |
| or dealt with adversity. These early influences laid | | | | comments that they believed that leaders are |
| the foundation for the admiration of those who | | | | made not born. |
| succeeded despite having to overcome obstacles, | | | | Professor James Kouzes, in his peer debriefing of |
| tragedy, or adversity. A combination of externice | | | | this leadership and adversity research findings and |
| senior leadership experience and strong business | | | | conclusions that when he indicted to me |
| background all led me to write this article on the | | | | agreement with my finding that leaders view |
| topic, are Leaders Made or Born? | | | | challenges as opportunities. Jim Kouzes offered |
| The leadership research specifically focused | | | | this specific comment on my findings from my |
| defining leadership and on the way certain events, | | | | leadership research, which was part of my |
| obstacles, or adversity affected and shaped | | | | Doctoral dissertation on leadership. |
| prominent leaders. This is a hermeneutic | | | | Professor Kouzes comment below is part of his |
| phenomenological investigation that concentrated | | | | academic scholarly peer debriefing of my |
| on the lived experiences of sixteen prominent | | | | leadership dissertation research. He made the |
| leaders, all of whom overcame adversity and | | | | following comment on one of my leadership |
| grew as leaders in the process. I sought from the | | | | research finding on the importance of overcoming |
| these sixteen leaders their deepest thoughts, true | | | | adversity, or major challenges, in the shaping and |
| stories, and their real-life examples. | | | | development of prominent leaders: "Challenge |
| The research interview questions were designed | | | | adversity was and is part of every case we have |
| to draw out the participants' experiences on a | | | | gathered on personal best leadership experiences." |
| range of interests. I encouraged the sixteen | | | | In addition to Professor Kouzes review of thsi |
| prominent leaders that I personally interviewed to | | | | leadership and adversity research, this research |
| identify the most important events in their lives. I | | | | got an academic peer debriefing from noted |
| asked them specifically to share the effects of | | | | leadership scholar and multiple time best selling |
| the events, obstacle, or adversity in their youth | | | | author, Harvard University, Graduate School of |
| and adult lives that shaped them. They were | | | | Business Professor Emeritus Dr. John Kotter. |
| called upon reveal the resources within | | | | Professor Kotter specifically mentioned during our |
| themselves that they drew upon to overcome | | | | interview the quote by Nietzsche, that which does |
| obstacles. Finally, I questioned them as to whether | | | | not kill you makes you stronger. He have found |
| their experiences with overcoming adversity in | | | | that idea has a lot of merit and that theme |
| any way impacted their development, specifically | | | | resounded throughout all sixteen interviews with |
| their development as a leader. | | | | the prominent leaders on how they overcame |
| This leadership research probed just how events, | | | | adversity, it's impact on their becoming a |
| obstacles, or adversity shaped the sixteen | | | | successful leader, and what events specifically |
| prominent leaders. Ascertaining the respective | | | | helped to made them a Leader. |
| participants' mental model was an important step, | | | | Dr. Kotter commented on the findings from the |
| but it does not alone answer the question of | | | | leadrship research that overcoming adversity had |
| "what makes a leader." | | | | impact of the shaping and development of |
| The concept of shaping leaders may be described | | | | prominent leaders, to which he said: "It's a classic |
| as analogous to the refining of metals to remove | | | | insight that seems to have much validity." |
| impurities, a process requiring great heat and | | | | He mentioned that he had written a biography on |
| great stress on the raw material. The literature is | | | | Konosuke Matsushita, the very successful |
| replete with stories of individuals who have been | | | | Japanese Entrepreneur. While Matsushita's name |
| shaped into great leaders after having been | | | | my not be well-known in the United States, |
| subjected to the refining fires of what I call the | | | | everyone is certainly familiar with the product lines |
| "crucible of adversity." | | | | he has created, such as: Panasonic, JVC, Quaser, |
| The follow information from major leadership | | | | National, Technics. |
| scholars and best selling author for the interested | | | | Konosuke Matsushita is a real national hero in |
| reader that seems to back my position and | | | | Japan. Matsushita has a heart warming life story, |
| conclusion: Leaderare made, not born. | | | | which is truly incredible. His story of success is |
| The Leaders Are Born versus Leaders Are Made | | | | really all about his dealing with major hardships and |
| Controversy Literature review summary: | | | | overcoming adversity. Dr. Kotter summed up his |
| Professor John W. Gardner, agreed emphatically | | | | story about Konosuke Matsushita, with the |
| with me that leaders are not born. In his well | | | | comment: "His many problems didn't drive him |
| received book entitled "On Leadership" he totally | | | | down. They lifted him up." Kotter then summed |
| agreed with my conclusion that Leaders are Made. | | | | up his thoughts on this aspect with the comment |
| Gardner's response to the question of whether | | | | that he thought the importance of overcoming |
| Leaders are Born was clear, direct and totally | | | | adversity or hardships "is very important." |
| unequivocal: "Nonsense!" | | | | My selected comments from two of the five |
| John Gardner, addressed the underlying issus of | | | | academic peer debriefings, by two major |
| Nature versus Nurture is foundational to the | | | | leadership scholars, Dr. John Kotter and Professor |
| question are Leaders made, or are leaders born. | | | | James Kouzes, have provided solid their party |
| He was candid, direct and well documented in his | | | | support for my information and arguments in this |
| arguments and eveident that Leaders are not | | | | article. |
| born, but made. | | | | Leaders are Made, not born! |
| The conclusion that Leaders are Made and that | | | | |