The Art of Leadership - Video 3
Summary
TLDRThe script explores the age-old debate of whether leaders are born or made. It emphasizes that leadership is not innate but a skill acquired through learning, practice, and mentorship. The discussion highlights the importance of values, public speaking, and persuasion in leadership development, and busts the myth that leadership is a birthright.
Takeaways
- π€ The debate on whether leaders are born or made is a central theme in leadership literature.
- π Historical and contemporary figures like Alexander the Great, Mahatma Gandhi, MLK, and Barack Obama are often cited as examples of 'born leaders' with innate qualities.
- ποΈ The development of leadership skills takes time and involves learning and practicing various abilities such as public speaking, values, and belief systems.
- π Leadership is not solely about genetics; it is a social science that involves learning and experience.
- π Aristotle's triangle of ethos, pathos, and logos is highlighted as essential leadership skills, emphasizing credibility, logical reasoning, and persuasive communication.
- π The concept of genetic endowment suggests that certain innate characteristics can influence leadership potential but do not define it.
- π₯ Leadership is a state that can be achieved through deliberate practice, education, and mentorship.
- π The importance of learning experiences and seeking out opportunities for growth within an organization is underscored.
- π£οΈ Mentorship plays a crucial role in leadership development, providing feedback, coaching, and new perspectives.
- π Being coachable is a fundamental skill for effective leadership, allowing individuals to learn, adapt, and influence others.
- π The script concludes with a call to action for individuals to invest in their leadership journey, emphasizing that leadership is made, not born.
Q & A
Is leadership an innate quality or something that is learned and developed over time?
-Leadership is not innate; it is learned and developed over time through the acquisition of skills, experiences, and values.
What are some examples of leaders mentioned in the script who are considered to have innate leadership qualities?
-Examples include Alexander the Great, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Barack Obama, and Nelson Mandela.
What are the key skills that leaders need to develop according to the script?
-Key skills include public speaking, having a set of values and belief systems, mobilizing, motivating, setting agendas, and communicating effectively.
What is the significance of ethos, pathos, and logos in the context of leadership as mentioned by Aristotle?
-Ethos refers to credibility, pathos to persuasive communication, and logos to logical reasoning. These are all skills that contribute to effective leadership.
Can someone from a prominent family have an advantage in terms of leadership credibility?
-While someone from a prominent family might have some initial advantage, true credibility is earned over time through actions and demonstrated leadership.
What is the role of genetic endowment in leadership according to the script?
-Genetic endowment can provide certain characteristics that can be used in leadership, such as a booming voice, but it does not define leadership itself.
What does the script suggest about the nature of leadership as a 'state' rather than a 'trait'?
-Leadership is considered a state because it is something that can be achieved and developed by anyone through learning and practice, rather than being a fixed trait one is born with.
How can someone maximize their learning experiences to become a leader?
-One can take on roles or jobs that provide opportunities for learning and growth, seek mentorship, and engage in deliberate practice and education.
What is the importance of mentorship in the development of leadership skills?
-Mentorship is crucial as it provides feedback, coaching, and new ideas, helping individuals to expand their perspectives and learn from the experiences of others.
Why is being coachable considered a fundamental skill for effective leadership?
-Being coachable allows individuals to listen, learn, and follow advice, which not only aids their own development but also equips them to coach and mentor others effectively.
How does the script refute the myth of leaders being born rather than made?
-The script refutes the myth by emphasizing research findings that leadership skills are learned and influenced more by non-genetic factors, and by highlighting the importance of intentional learning and experience.
Outlines
π§ The Nature vs. Nurture of Leadership
This paragraph delves into the age-old debate of whether leaders are born with innate qualities or if leadership is cultivated through experience and learning. It highlights various historical figures known for their leadership, such as Alexander the Great, Mahatma Gandhi, and Barack Obama, and discusses the idea that these individuals may have had an 'innate leadership quality.' The speaker argues that while some may possess certain genetic endowments that can aid in leadership roles, true leadership is developed over time through the acquisition of skills like public speaking, value systems, and the ability to motivate and persuade. The paragraph introduces Aristotle's concepts of ethos, pathos, and logos as essential leadership skills that are learned rather than inherited.
π Debunking the 'Born Leader' Myth
The second paragraph focuses on dispelling the myth that leadership is an inherent trait by emphasizing the importance of learning and intentional development. It mentions research, including studies on twins, which suggest that leadership skills are significantly influenced by non-genetic factors. The paragraph reinforces the idea that leadership is a state that anyone can achieve with the right combination of education, practice, experience, and mentorship. The role of mentors in providing feedback, coaching, and expanding perspectives is underscored, as is the importance of being coachable and open to learning from others. The summary concludes by encouraging individuals to invest in their leadership development, thereby challenging the notion of being a 'born leader' and promoting the concept of leadership as a skill set that can be acquired and refined.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Leadership
π‘Innate Leadership Quality
π‘Public Speaking Skills
π‘Values and Belief Systems
π‘Credibility
π‘Logos
π‘Pathos
π‘Ethos
π‘Genetic Endowment
π‘Mentorship
π‘Coachability
Highlights
The debate over whether leaders are born or made is a longstanding question in leadership literature.
Examining leaders like Alexander the Great, Mahatma Gandhi, MLK, Malcolm X, Barack Obama, and Nelson Mandela reveals they all had innate leadership qualities.
Leadership is often seen as being in one's DNA or inherent qualities that manifest in how they show up.
Leaders are made over many years, developing skills in public speaking, values, and belief systems essential for leadership.
Becoming a leader involves adopting a set of unique values and beliefs that drive actions and decisions.
Aristotle's triangle of ethos, pathos, and logos is highlighted as key leadership skills - credibility, logical reasoning, and persuasive communication.
Credibility is earned over time and is not simply given due to one's background or family.
Logos emphasizes the importance of logical reasoning in leadership, a skill that must be learned and demonstrated.
Pathos refers to the ability to persuasively communicate, another skill that is developed rather than innate.
The concept of genetic endowment suggests we are born with certain characteristics that can be utilized in leadership.
However, genetic endowments alone do not define leadership; they must be applied effectively towards leadership development.
Leadership is a social science and a skill that is acquired, not an inherent trait one is born with.
Research, including studies of twins, shows leadership skills are more influenced by non-genetic factors and learning.
Leadership is described as a state, not a trait, meaning anyone can become a leader with the right skills and experiences.
The importance of learning experiences in growing as a leader, even within an organization, is emphasized.
Education and mentorship are invaluable in the leadership development process, providing the blueprint for becoming a leader.
Mentorship provides feedback, coaching, and new ideas, helping expand one's perspective and learn to be a better leader.
Coachability is a fundamental skill for leaders, involving listening, following advice, and suspending one's own judgment.
Transcripts
so S I need your help uh to sort of
understand uh this this question that
sort of dogs the leadership uh
literature uh and the field quite a bit
are you born leader right uh from birth
you were said that's the leader that's
what it's going to be or are you made a
leader do you become a leader do you
learn to be a leader um you know when I
see my views of leadership from
Alexander the Great to Mahatma Gandhi
uh to
MLK uh uh Malcolm X uh um to Barack
Obama uh to NASA Mandela you know we we
see amazing
figures uh who uh even with Teresa who
who sort of who all look different and
do different things but in many ways uh
have this innate leadership quality like
it's just in their bones it's in their
DNA it's in their uh in how they show up
um what do you think I think that
absolutely leaders are made all these
fantastic leaders that you just named
were many years in the making if you
think about any one of those leaders and
they developed many skills along the way
public speaking skills values and belief
systems that every leader needs to adopt
by the way part of becoming a leader is
to have a set of values and beliefs that
you uniquely hold yes that drives all
that you do an example of that is what
is your philosophy of human
behavior do you trust people and Empower
do you control people in order to make
them do things so you need to make
decisions on your own that's part of the
leadership development Journey but as
you described all these fabulous leaders
they learned skills around how to
mobilize how to motivate how to set an
agenda how to um uh convey and
communicate that agenda how to persuade
um there's there's this
Aristotle uh um uh triangle that I love
where he talks about ethos pathos and
logos as uh
leadership skills ethos speaks to
credibility yes all the leaders you
described have credibility and they've
earned those credibility they weren't
born with the credibility logos but does
but wait wait a second does that you
know if you come from a big family if
you were like XYZ kid of XYZ don't you
get a lot of credibility given to you
anyway no okay if you think about those
folks they might have some advantage
but this credibility is absolutely
earned and it's it's um it manifests in
what you say what you do and it's
observable yeah so in fact um unless you
have developed these uh credentials over
time or credibility over time it's very
difficult to have people follow you the
second uh piece that Aristotle has
advanced called logos is incred
important because it speaks to logical
reason that's a skill people have to
believe that you have logical reasoning
the capacity to um intu it Based on data
and other things and finally uh he talks
about pathos that's communication skills
that's the ability to persuasively
convey to to others those are learned
skills no one is born with them now I'll
Grant you this uh there 's this concept
called genetic endowment by a Stanford
University uh scholar uh by the name of
Schwarz who says that we all are born
with certain characteristics we do have
them and that's part of what we use in
our careers in our lives we can't ignore
that so someone with a booming voice you
use that to communicate but the booming
voice doesn't Define your leadership so
they're they're genetic endowments that
are part of our makeup but and and and
once we know how to use them towards
good and Leadership we can apply them so
there's that piece of it in terms of our
Birthright but otherwise leadership is a
Social Science Leadership is a skill
you're absolutely not born as a leader
you become one yeah so let's get their
view let's I love for you to now sort of
uh think about both points right think
about uh uh the arguments for why
leaders are born uh again reflect back
on your own perspectives and what you've
come up with and then also given what s
doll soless were the points for leaders
being made be being a real practice
because this conversation between
yourselves will be helpful because many
people have this view that leaders are
born so write that write that down and
even if you don't think that write it
down because just take the opposite view
think about your friends who might be
saying that think about your family MERS
are being said are saying that and write
down those points and then then write
down the points about leaders being made
sadal Let's just bust this myth about
being a born leader uh what do we know
from research what do you know from your
experiences what do you mean from your o
what do you know from your own mentoring
of other leaders what what what's the
what's the answer here the answer here
of course can you bust the myth let's I
mean it's busted we need to keep it
busted uh is that uh re research shows
that leadership skills are not innate
that they're learned number one and
they've been so many studies including
of twins so genetic genetic genetic born
the same minute the same family the same
family the same social context the same
socioeconomic scenario and um found that
leadership was more influenced by non-
gentic factors it's all about the
learning and the intention to become a
leader so the reason I love this
conversation that we're having is that
ultimately leadership is a state not a
trait and anyone can become a leader
wait wait say say more State not a
leadership is a state and not a trait
and that
anyone can become a leader yeah and
that's what we hope that you take away
from this perspective right that all of
you have the small L you got to make it
a big L that requires skill building
practice education having mentors all
those elements that that allow you to
become mate as a leader and experiences
yeah so learning experiences are
incredibly uh important even if you want
to grow within an organization take the
types of jobs that maximizes your
learning uh over time uh you will end up
in a position to take over and lead in
some capacity but you always will start
small necessarily but so uh the
education is important a program like
this is invaluable in my mind because
we're actually um giving you the
blueprint yes yes so I think we've done
the the the deed we have busted finally
the myth about uh leaders being born we
feel that leaders are made we feel we
know not sorry not feel we know we know
that leaders are made and um your job
your call
should be to make this a practice make
this something that you invest in you
deliberately invest in you deliberately
acquire the experiences you deliberately
acquire the education and you
deliberately acquire the mentors that
are going to actually help you make uh
become better leaders too and can you
say a little bit more about mentorship
like how how how can I learn to be
leader from other leaders mentorship is
so important because on the one hand you
get feedback you get coaching you get
ideas and a great way to use mentors um
it could even be peer mentors right
those who have a little bit more
experienced than you is to seek advice
to get counsel I do that all the time
with you right when I say when I say hey
what do you think of this uh what should
I do and you
say please have them think of it this
way and it really expands my per my
perspective and so seeking advice SE
seeking counsel seeking opportunities
whether it's volunteering if you're able
uh or not um uh if you can even get a
small job and so uh mentors can be very
helpful in that way and ultimately you
have to be coachable oh say more seeking
mentors if and if you're not coachable
is not going to work tell tell me more
coachability is a fundamental skill
that's really important that is to learn
to listen to learn to follow advice to
learn to suspend your own judgment even
if you disagree she tells me that all
the time stop K stop stop your
judgmental stuff just listen just listen
listen and learn before you take action
being coachable will make you a
fantastic leader because not only will
you learn and be influenced but guess
what you'll know how to coach
others all right so there you are
leaders are made and we hope you're on
the journey to becoming a leader
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