Leadership is a learned skill.
It can be taught, internalized, and applied. The “thoughts” or “beliefs” that some leaders have may make their personal convictions stronger, but people–followers–only see tangible actions.
Having said that, I also believe that, like all skills, some are born with a higher propensity to learn and apply certain things. I’ve been playing golf off and on for 30 years, and still largely a weekend business hacker; I’ve seen others able to pick up clubs for the first time, and two months later were “all caught up” with me. They had the innate propensity to learn those skills; they recognized and capitalized on that propensity.
See my brief video on this and other leadership myths…
I’ve seen people who are essentially non-leadership in all they do become powerful leaders with proper reinforcement and education.
We complicate leadership unnecessarily, and there’s little new under the leadership sun. It hasn’t changed much in a couple thousand years, regardless of the latest glossy hardback that says different.
But that’s just me…
