This is the question which has been on the lips of researchers who have toiled with the answer for many decades. The debate will no doubt continue to be thrashed around but the answer is right in front of us.

To become a born leader, a person has to inherit the gift of intelligence. This can usually be determined from adolescence onwards when character and psychological traits have developed and will remain fixed for life. This does not mean that a born leader has to be a clone of Einstein, it simply means that they have to be clever and sharp enough to effectively cope with any tasks that come their way.

The characteristics which make up a born leader shine through when they are able to help other people achieve positive results. Such a person will have a natural flair for being able to bring out the best in others, boost confidence and offer constructive advice. This is the sort of person who fits in well with a group and gains fulfilment by helping his subordinates develop and grow.

In adulthood, there are two types of people. There are those who are naturally optimistic, and use problems as a challenge. They are not quitters; they are determined to succeed and are constantly monitoring the way that they handle situations. They thrive on finding ways to improve and perform better. They think creatively and will often come up with unusual ways of solving a problem. They evaluate thoughts and opinions from others and often combine these with their own way of thinking to solve difficult problems. They will motivate a team to such an extent that they will instinctively know which people are appropriate to undertake relevant tasks.

They lead by encouragement, motivation and optimism and are able to anticipate events in advance. This leads them to find innovative ways to nip problems in the bud before they take a hold. These people are enthusiastic to step up to the challenge of taking an idea from scratch and working through it to completion. They are driven by their enthusiasm and passion...These are the fundamental attributes which make up a born leader. These are the type of people who will learn the myriad of skills necessary to channel this inborn instinct and become effective leaders. The amount of dedication, planning and forecasting that they put into this, measures how great a leader they will become.

Then there are those who prefer to leave all of the big decisions to management and are happy to follow the advice and guidance of others. These people do not want the stresses that such a position would involve and are happy to let others do the thinking for them. Some people have worked in the same field for many years and enjoy knowing what each day will bring. This does not mean that they are not living up to their potential. In fact, it actually shows that they know their own mind as they would know without any shred of a doubt that they would not be suitable for a leadership role. In fact, these people would hate the daily pressures that go with such a position. They have other dreams and talents which are usually not connected to work and can therefore be achieved whilst staying at the same level within a company.

Leaders learn by observance and example. They will ask questions and act on answers; they read books, scan the internet, seek feedback from their managers and peers and read as many self-help books that they can lay their hands on from leaders of both the past and present. They are zoned into experimenting with different ideas and objectives and are intrigued by the outcome. They revel in their successes and learn from their failures, seeing them as a learning curve rather than a disaster.

Leaders manage their own self development. They constantly look for new ideas and opportunities which will further equip them to do their job even better. These are the people who buzz at the thought of learning a new skill just for the sheer satisfaction of being able to utilize it within the workplace and master first-hand the results of their input. They are the type of people who are constantly evaluating their performance. They delight at being praised but will hold themselves accountable for things which go wrong. They show compassion for people and find it highly rewarding to boost people's confidence and watch them improve.

To become a successful leader, it takes a lifetime of learning, discovering and developing. There is always something new to learn and implement and there are always new skills waiting to be mastered so as results can be improved.

A leader is someone who will learn skills which can be used elsewhere. This helps such a person to adapt to job changes or work on multiple project assignments. He is someone who can usually find a constructive answer to most problems...if not, he will seek to find a solution and will enjoy the challenge. He is never afraid to state his opinion but will also listen and advise in such a way as to bring out the best in people. His counsel will allow people to find an effective answer based upon the information which was presented.
Effective leaders are also able to forecast the future and recognise possible promotions and assignments which could present themselves. Therefore, they are continually seeking opportunities which will propel them to the top of their career.

When someone is gifted with these instinctual skills, they find it easy to expand them whilst working in a leadership environment. Nearly 80% of their training will result from sheer observation of leaders within their workplace and they will take it upon themselves to emanate their behaviour. They seek out mentors and latch onto role models who will influence their way of thinking and show them the tricks of the trade.

So going back to our question...is a management leader born or made? The answer is a bit of both. He is both born with the mental blueprint of a leader which paves the way for training to hone in on those skills and develop them until he becomes a master.