Essay in Leadership

Leaders are born or made?

Prepared by EBS 3rd year student

_____Elvis Lazdi____
(Name, surname)
Group D1A1

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Elvis Lazdi

Riga 2014

Leaders are born or made? This statement is the basis of numerous researches
made by management professors but there is no right answer. In this essay I will
explain my thoughts about leaders, are they made or are they born.
Contrary to the opinion of many people, leaders are not born. Leaders are made,
and they are made by effort and hard work. By Vince T. Lombardi.
I agree with this quote, I also believe that Leaders are nurtured, that the skills
leaders need can be trained and gathered with hard work. This believe is very poorly
shared around people, a survey where 150 respondents were questioned about their
belief about leaders, majority thinks that leaders are both born and made a quarter of
participants thinks that leaders are born.
I can understand why people believe that leaders are born. Thats because of
experience of the childhood, we explore the world and learn a lot of things in
childhood. I believe that we can learn ability to lead in childhood when we play with
friends. We all can remember that there were someone who always led us. That is
the place where we could met leadership the first time, the question is did our
character were developed in such way that we could acquire this skill to lead.
Because some child is shy he always follows the directions the others give. Or that
the child is framed by parents which do not allow do different set of things these are
the things which blocks everyone to become a leader. It is the character and
personality of person. Which can be influenced by parents in young childhood.(Bruce
Avolio,1999)
Another aspect which helps to share opinion that leaders are born are the
characteristics of person, for example, charisma, oratory skills, they could be inborn,
as Scott Shane(2010) says: Numerous studies have revealed that genes affect a
variety of leadership dimensions. Your DNA influences your attitudes toward
leadership, your ability to head up a group, your willingness to take on a leadership
role, and even what kind of boss you become I agree that these skills, and qualities
which person inherited from parents can help to become a better leader, but they
dont determine that you will become leader.
The question isnt: Are leaders born or made? That is like asking whether athletes
are born or made. There is no single answer to this question, for we all know that
both inherent talent and hard training are required to build an exceptional athlete(
and even athletes with few natural advantages can achieve tremendous things with
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Elvis Lazdi

Riga 2014

hard practice. Said by James Manktelow(2005).

This quote supports all the Management schools all around the world and even our
course in Leadership, it can be thought otherwise all these schools wouldnt teach it.
The thing is whether we are willing to learn it, and how to learn it?
As I was the youngest child in family I hadnt have chance to lead someone in
childhood as well as my parents are pretty strict they forbid me to do a lot of things
these factors influence my development as a leader, it is pretty tough for me to lead
someone as I have raised and thought that I cannot command others now as I am
Project Manager and I have subordinates I feel uncomfortable when I have to say
someone what to do. Of course I cannot put all the blame on parents but I believe
that they have a strong influence on childs leadership development, their support
can be great help. But thats why we have Leadership courses where we train these
skills, to become a great leaders.
As I have read in many articles and books most of authors state that leaders are not
born, they are made, the qualities they inherit could be great help to develop
leadership skills, but everyone is born with equal possibility to become a leader, they
just have to develop the necessary skills, and they should be persuaded to develop
these skills by parents.

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Elvis Lazdi

Riga 2014

Interview.

I interviewed non-governmental organizations Zemnieku saeima chairman of the board,

board member of cooperativeLatraps and owner of a farming company Z/SLazdii and
logistics company SIAPauguri A.J Juris Lazdi.
He is owner of the companies for more than 20 years. And member of board in different
organizations for more than 10 years. On daily basis he manages his company and fights for
the rights of Latvian farmers trough the help of Zemnieku Saeima. He is in charge of 16
people in his companys and 10 in Zemnieku Saeima. He has been studying in Latvian
Farming Academy but hasnt finished his studies due to inability to manage company and in
the same time study and rise kids.
The interview where held in Z/SLazdii office in Krimunas on 15. October and last for a
half an hour.
1. Describe your style of Leadership?
My style of leadership? As I havent attended special courses of leadership I dont
know any of them (laughs), but we have authoritative style of leadership. I as the
owner am the Manager, I plan what will be done, what has to be done, and then tell
the employees what they have to do. It is complicated to work differently in
countryside where the level of employee knowledge is pretty low. I dont say that
they are unqualified, but most of them have attended only professional high schools,
or in the worst case finished 9 grades. So it is impossible to have a democratic
leadership style.

2. How do you motivate your subordinates?

The main motivator is money the harder they work the more they get, another
motivator is possibility to become a senior mechanic. We dont have any bonuses or
anything like that.

3. Is theoretical knowledge important?

As I mentioned earlier I havent attended special leadership courses or anything like
that but I have been able to manage to lead two companies for more than 20 years.
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Elvis Lazdi

Riga 2014

So I believe that no, but on the other hand, If I would have some theoretical
knowledge maybe I would have implemented some bonuses system to motivate
employees.

4. Your definition of leader?

Person who can persuade others. There are different type of leaders I tend to be
leader which can show what to do by my own example I dont just point a finger and
say: You should do that or that I work hard myself so that employees could see
that I expect from them the same effort.

5. What is the most difficult thing you have to face as a leader?

In the beginning it was to fire someone, but later one when you understand that this
person doesnt do the things that he was hired for, you know that you have done the
right thing.

6. Do you have some protg?

As I established my company after the collapse of Soviet Russia I didnt have any
protg. Because we learned about leaders of that time Russia.

7. What is your opinion, Leaders are born or made?

Basing on my experience I believe that they grow as leaders, when you get thrown in
to environment where you have to take charge of everyone else, you just have to
adapt. You learn from your experience, from school. You gain knowledge how to be
a leader, so I believe that leaders are made.

8. Most important skills necessary for leader?

Ability to persuade people, it is the most important. Another factor of success is
ability to explain things you have to be clear. You cant imagine something in your
mind and expect your employees to guess whats on your mind. Of course oratory
skills also can be handy.

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Elvis Lazdi

Riga 2014

9. Some advice to young leaders?

Do what you love to do, then you will be happy and successful.

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Elvis Lazdi

Riga 2014

Analysis of interview.
As I have read in articles which states that leaders are made, the interview showed the same
results. Juris believes that leaders are made, but some skills which they inherit could be
handy to become a good leader.
He uses autocratic leadership style which is most suitable for his industry.
He believes that money is the strongest motivator, and he doesnt use any bonus scheme.
As he hasnt finished any management school he believes that theoretical knowledge isnt
such important, you can lead without it.
He says that a leader is person which can persuade others to achieve common task.
In his carrier the most difficult thing where to fire someone, but he says when you
understand that you have done a good thing in view of companys success it isnt so bad at
all.
He thinks that leaders are made, by learning and the most important skills of leaders are
ability to persuade and explain things.

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Elvis Lazdi

Riga 2014

Bibliography:
Bruce Avolio(1999).Are leaders born or made?.[online] Available from:
http://www.techtied.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/are-leaders-born-or-made.pdf.
[Accessed: 15.10.2014]
Bruce J. Avolio.(2005) Leadership development in balance: made/born.[Online] New
Yersey:Lawrence Erlbaum associates, publishers. Available fromhttp://www.google.lv/books?hl=lv&lr=&id=SOZ4AgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR3&dq=leaders+a
re+born+or+made+book&ots=b8B0e30MnC&sig=KY9PLs_UH0rW1RzG_NdKAnhwv0Q&redir
_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false. [Accessed: 15.10.2014]
Manktelow J., Brodbeck F.,Anand N..(2005) How to lead: Discover the leader within
you.[online] Swindon:Hardwick house. Available fromhttp://books.google.lv/books?id=mwe23_Kg9l4C&pg=PA14&lpg=PA14&dq=The+question+i
sn%E2%80%99t:%E2%80%9D+Are+leaders+born+or+made?%E2%80%9D+That+is+like+aski
ng+whether+athletes+are+born+or+made.+There+is+no+single+answer+to+this+question,+
for+we+all+know+that+both+inherent+talent+and+hard+training+are+required+to+build+a
n+exceptional+athlete(+and+even+athletes+with+few+natural+advantages+can+achieve+tr
emendous+things+with+hard+practice&source=bl&ots=9QyWe4a5Ba&sig=ynGKGIWj70aJai
qPy80QMsRFsKo&hl=lv&sa=X&ei=vDJCVJv5KOPFygPE_IKICg&ved=0CCYQ6AEwAQ#v=onepa
ge&q&f=false . [Accessed: 15.10.2014]
Michael D. Mumford.(2010) Leadership 101.[online].New York:Pringer publishing company.
Available fromhttp://books.google.lu/books?id=gKykNp4uugUC&pg=PA29&dq=Leaders+are+born+or+mad
e?&hl=de&sa=X&ei=vi9CVKnCIeXRywPdo4LABw&ved=0CEgQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Leade
rs%20are%20born%20or%20made%3F&f=false. [Accessed: 15.10.2014]
Scott Shane(2010). Born entrepreneurs, Born Leaders: How Your Genes Affect Your Work
Lide.[online]1. edition. New York: Oxford university press. Available fromhttp://books.google.lv/books?id=8gduC9V4LYYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Born+Entrepren
eurs,+Born+Leaders:+How+Your+Genes+Affect+Your+Work+Life+ebook&hl=lv&sa=X&ei=sz1

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Elvis Lazdi

Riga 2014

CVKSOCor_ygOtmoLQCA&ved=0CB4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false. [Accessed:
15.10.2014]

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Elvis Lazdi

Riga 2014