What is leadership?Leadership seems to be the marshaling of skills possessed by a majority but used by a minority. But it's something that can be learned by everyone, taught to everyone, denied to no one. --Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus Leaders: Strategies for Taking Charge The age-old question of nature versus nurture The nature versus nurture debates concern the relative importance of an individual's innate qualities ("nature", i.e. nativism, or philosophical empiricism, innatism) versus personal experiences ("nurture") in determining or causing individual differences in physical and behavioral is still alive and well in the field of leadership development. Are leaders born or made? If leaders are born with some innate ability to lead, then what does it mean for those not born with this trait trait (trat) 1. any genetically determined characteristic; also, the condition prevailing in the heterozygous state of a recessive disorder, as the sickle cell trait. 2. a distinctive behavior pattern. ? If leadership is learnable, then what exactly do people need to learn to become effective leaders? In fact, what exactly is leadership? Leaders are born and made. Clearly, some people have natural abilities, such as good communications skills, compassion compassion, n a profound awareness of another's suffering coupled with a desire to alleviate that suffering. , and decisiveness. However, effective leadership entails such a wide variety of behaviors and skills across an extensive array of circumstances CIRCUMSTANCES, evidence. The particulars which accompany a fact. 2. The facts proved are either possible or impossible, ordinary and probable, or extraordinary and improbable, recent or ancient; they may have happened near us, or afar off; they are public or that no one person could possibly be born with all of the qualities necessary to serve in that capacity for all situations. Thus, effective leadership necessarily involves some degree of acquired learning--in most cases, a very substantial degree. Leadership is more about behavior, skills, and competencies than simple innate traits. Leadership effectiveness is a lifetime pursuit necessarily dedicated to self-awareness and reflection, critical thinking, and action. It is a multifaceted mul·ti·fac·et·ed adj. Having many facets or aspects. See Synonyms at versatile. Adj. 1. multifaceted - having many aspects; "a many-sided subject"; "a multifaceted undertaking"; "multifarious interests"; "the multifarious endeavor that touches everyone everywhere. Each month in Leadership Spotlight, the faculty of the Leadership Development Institute (LDI See OpenLDI. ) at the FBI Academy The FBI Academy, located in Quantico, Virginia, is the training grounds for new Special Agents of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was first opened for use in 1972 on 385 acres (1.6 km²) of woodland. will offer insights into the countless issues that comprise effective leadership. LDI staff members have spent thousands of hours researching, studying, and presenting material on the subject. While they do not have all of the answers, they do hope to engage readers in this topic of crucial importance to the law enforcement community. Dr. David S. Corderman, special agent and chief of the Leadership Development Institute at the FBI Academy, prepared Leadership Spotlight. |
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