Leaders are Made, Not Born

There’s a common misconception that some people are born as natural leaders and others simply don’t have it. I’ve heard some go so far as to justify the way that they speak or behave with a casual, “Well, that’s just the way I am.”

What an incredibly sad attitude to have.

Although it’s true that people are born with different talents, different abilities and different potential, it’s also true that we as human beings are incredibly versatile. There are skills and lessons that we all can learn to continue growing and developing both as leaders and as people. We can learn how to be kinder, how to show respect, how to build conversations, and how to trigger the senses in people that motivate them.

Remember that some of the greatest leaders weren’t always the ones who were born with the most charisma. Sometimes they were humble men like Moses who simply stood up and cared for the people around them. I repeat this often, but it’s important to note that leadership isn’t a position, a title or status. It’s influence, and influence can only be achieved by building the respect of those around you, by giving them a reason to let you influence them.

Today’s post is a short one, but I want to pose a powerful question for you: Who would you be if you stopped making excuses about who you are and simply started learning everything you can?

Have the courage to learn something new today, to change the way you to speak to someone or to adjust some other habit that you’ve been holding onto.