Are Leaders Born or Made?

This question is one that I have frequently discussed with people--how can you teach the kind of leadership attributes that you find in people like Lincoln, Gandhi, King, Mandela, or others who have truly been able to inspire and move people?   Some people would claim that they are born with those attributes....and although I would say that people are born with some tendencies, I would not say that they were necessarily born to be leaders.   My belief is that everyone one of these individuals went through a significant transformational experience in their lives at some point that profoundly impacted their view on life and and the world.  Only through this deep personal growth is one able to exhibit the kind of wisdom, selflessness, courage and calm to lead people through challenging periods. For example, King, Gandhi and Mandela all spent varying but significant time in prisons early in their "careers" as leaders of their movements (Mandela obviously much more than the other two).   For people who knowingly put themselves in these positions, these provided unique opportunities for reflection as indicated by some of the writings that came out of their times spent while incarcerated. 

For each of us the opportunities will probably not be as dramatic, but in spite of whatever we may learn in the classroom, our ability to lead others is directly proportional to our willingness to experience personal growth outside of the classroom--not just when it is thrust upon us, but to actively seek it out in the context of our daily lives.