What makes a leader? Is leadership an inherited quality, or can
it be created through education, experience, and example?
There's no doubt that a few select individuals seem to be
naturally endowed with those qualities necessary to become a
great leader. However, for the rest of us, is there any hope of
becoming an effective leader? Despite their manifold personality
types, all leaders share common characteristics. Some of these
common qualities are inherited, while others are learned.
According to Warren G. Bennis and Robert J. Thomas' research
documented in the Harvard Business Review article "Crucibles of
Leadership", one inherent quality of a good leader is the
ability to cope with, then rise above difficult circumstances.
That is, a leader can find meaning beyond immediate obstacles
and focus on how to improve himself and his situation for the
future. Benchmarks 2006 – A Study of Well-Managed PracticesSM
indicates another inherent quality that distinguishes a leader
from other individuals is a sense of p