[Brielle Buckler]

Read the background story of each of these 3 successful entrepreneurs, activists, and leaders. Analyze, compare, contrast their backgrounds and personal characteristics.

• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
• Frederick W. Smith
• Lebron James

What do they have in common? What stands out about these individuals? What do you notice that is different? Write a response below explaining commonalities and differences.

Given what you’ve learned about each of these entrepreneurs: do you think leaders are born or made? Why?

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In order to receive full credit for this assignment, you must first post your own response to the question(s) above by Friday, December 8 at 11:59pm ET. You then must comment meaningfully on at least two classmates’ posts by Sunday, December 10 at 11:59pm ET.

This assignment is worth a total of ten (10) points — 6 possible points for your original post, and up to 2 points for each of the two responses to your classmates’ posts. Please reference our Discussion Rubric for more information, and to this guide from MSSU to learn more about what it means to respond meaningfully to a classmates’ post.

• This topic was modified 9 months ago by Brielle Buckler. Reason: Republish
• This topic was modified 9 months ago by Brielle Buckler. Reason: Date Update
• This topic was modified 8 months, 1 week ago by Brielle Buckler. Reason: Updated Bios

[Juaddy Lajara]

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a member of the House of Representatives, where she helps make decisions about policies for the country. AOC is known for being a vocal advocate for certain ideas and policies, especially those related to the environment and social issues.

Frederick W. Smith is the man who founded FedEx. FedEx is one the worlds biggest package delivery companies. Frederick W. Smith was always known as a very determined individual.<button class=”flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-md p-1 pl-0 text-xs hover:text-gray-950 dark:text-gray-400 dark:hover:text-gray-200 disabled:dark:hover:text-gray-400 md:invisible md:group-hover:visible md:group-[.final-completion]:visible”></button>

Lebron James is a superstar basketball player who is arguably considered the greatest of all time. He is also know for his philanthropic work off the court heavily based on social dilemmas.

Smith is a very innovative and strategic individual. Lebron being an athlete is considered to be very charismatic and caring towards the public. AOC is a very passionate and well articulated person.

To compare them is easy. All three of these individuals have had exceptional influence on the public. They all show strong signs of leadership. While also having strong public engagements.

The obvious  difference between these three people would of course be their respective fields. But also the sectors in which they show their influence. Which are sports, politics, and the business world.

I am firm believer that leaders are made. Being a leader comes with certain skills and traits that we are able to pickup throughout our life time. It is also important to note that gaining the skills is easy it is more based on being able to use those skills to become that leader.

[David]

I agree with your argument, despite being in totally different branches, each one performs a level of great leadership and relates in a great way with the public. For example, in my research, I discovered that Frederick W. Smith, at all times, even during a crisis, never fired a worker.

[Karim Badri]

I entirely agree with you, Juaddy.

Claiming that a leader can be born is taking away from all the hard work that goes into gaining the skillset to become a leader in the first place. No one is simply able to take initiative and lead others without first gaining firsthand experience and learning about the field of work they’re in.

[Bryan Teutle]

Hi Juaddy, I completely agree with you that leaders are made from their experience rather being born to fit that role. Not everyone has their path set in stone which can be seen in some of their early lives, but they still manage to strive to make achievements in their fields.

[Lauren DeFrancis]

Alexander Ocasio-Cortez is an American democratic socialist. She is a U.S. Representative for New York’s 14th congressional district. And she is also the youngest woman to ever be elected to congress. Growing up she had to manage a lot. When her father passed away she had to take on multiple jobs during the recession to help her family financially. A lot of Ocasio-Cortez work is surrounded by climate change, healthcare, affordable housing, and more.<span class=”Apple-converted-space”> </span>

LeBron James is a professional basketball player, currently playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. As soon as James was born he had a natural gift for playing basketball. He was recruited in his youth for basketball and gained popularity since then. He uses a lot of his platform to focus on social issues.

Frederick W. Smith is an American business executive who founded FedEx. The global courier delivery service. Smith’s father was also a successful businessman when Frederick W. Smith was growing up. Before Smith started the global transportation network he served with the U.S. Marines for two tours.

The first thing I thought of when reading about all three of these individuals was, they are all so different. They came from different backgrounds, had different circumstances, and different goals. Yet, these are all public figures who have expressed their views on their public platforms. Ocasio-Cortez, James, and Smith all come from different fields of expertise but they all advocate for social justice and equality.<span class=”Apple-converted-space”> </span>

Smith grew up in a position of privilege. His father was a businessman and had the opportunity to attended an Ivy-League school. Ocasio-Cortez grew up in the Bronx and took a liking to politics, she later took on numerous jobs after college to help her family financially. James didn’t grow up in a privileged position but he used his gift of basketball to create a platform of his own. Therefore I believe leaders are created, not born. Environment and education don’t matter, it’s about your leadership skills. How someone can develop and their adaptability. That shows how effective one can be as a leader.<span class=”Apple-converted-space”> </span>

[Karim Badri]

I agree with you, Lauren.

To further add to your final section, Smith may have grown up in a position of privilege but he also made his own way in the world. He joined the military after college and served two tours, attaining one of the rarest medals twice as well as rising to the rank of Captain. Only after being honorable discharged from his position did he found FedEx, showing that he put in work to become his own person before following the same path of business as his father.

[Juaddy Lajara]

Lauren your reflection perfectly captures the diversity and shared commitment to social justice among AOC, Lebron, and Smith. The recognition that leadership is brought through skills, development, and adaptability, rather than being predetermined by background and education comes off as a powerful point.

• This reply was modified 7 months, 1 week ago by Juaddy Lajara.

[Darryl Gunawan]

Based on my researches about there 3 big public figures, I find out couple commonalities that they have especially on their way facing their life and how it gives multiple impacts to the society. From them, I saw that they are really involving in their own respective fields by focusing and challenging the norms and thoroughly pushing it into the maximum limit of boundaries. They also generate determination, commitment, and strong work ethic towards their career as part of their goals. As example, all of them have the particular strong leadership skills that bring up their environment into the fullest capacity of their capability and it makes incredibly outstanding output into the excellence. Aware from that, they also using their platform to stand out of what they believe in which are social justice, or even community services.

 

Besides from that, each individual also has their own way to stand out. Firstly, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, she was starting her job as a waitress and bartender and turns out her passion led her into her passion which became the first youngest congress member represented New York 14^th congressional district. Secondly, Frederick W. Smith, he was serving a US marine and ended up attending college to catch his degree. Amazingly, he found out his passion and found mind-blowing idea about logistic delivery and developed the idea of making a company that now called as FedEx. His character really thrived him into an individual of persistence and has entrepreneurial spirit of leadership. Lastly, Lebron James, he started his career as professional athlete since he was really young. Due to his dedication of it, he became one the greatest athlete of all time in history of NBA. He is really having a strong based leadership skill that leads him into his position as of now after 20 years of pro-basketball career.

 

However, each individual has its own differences. Like their focusing fields, each of them came from different sector like politics, business, and sports. But, it does not change or affect anything from it since everybody has their passion that leads them into the best version of it. No matter what fields they are into, they still become the good leaders for their society.

 

And to decide whether the leaders are whether born or made, I could say that leaders are basically made since most of the human beings are start from zero I could say, and it takes time from them to learn the culture, basic stuff of life. And based on it, human will eventually polish their life skills that create a strong foundation of their passion and being a leader is one of the example goals that can be achieved by pursuing life with dedication and commitment involved in it.

[David]

I agree, that’s what I think, each of them did their best version in their field and the leaders are made concerning the experiences they have had throughout their lives.

[David]

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a politician more specifically a socialist democrat, Frederick W. Smith is the founder of FedEx which never fired an employee even when the company was facing a crisis
Lebron James is a professional NBA basketball player who broke many records that not even players of Jordan’s stature achieved and a helper of communities.

What they have in common is that they all started from 0, they did not let themselves be demotivated by life circumstances, and they persevered to achieve their best version in each area; Alexandria became the youngest Hispanic politician, Frederick W.Smith being the first 24/7 shipping company and the most successful in his area to date, LeBron James breaking records that not even other famous players of Jordan’s stature could break and helper of the communities in social spheres. In addition to all being great leaders in each area that they developed.

From my point of view, the difference that existed between them in addition to their branch in which Alexandria Ocasio was dedicated to politics, Frederick W. Smith to business, and Lebron James to professional basketball and helping communities off the court, I think In addition to that, I differentiated their ideals, what is right and what is wrong, but in the end, at least from my point of view, they were more similar than different, all of them little by little became great leaders.

[Lauren DeFrancis]

David, I admire your perspective on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Frederick W. Smith, and LeBron James. You emphasized  their shared journey from humble beginnings to becoming leaders in their respective fields. It’s intriguing how you highlight not just their professional success but also their resilience and commitment to making a positive impact. Your recognition of their commonalities, despite differing fields and ideologies, underscores the universal traits of determination and leadership. Nice job!

[Juaddy Lajara]

David I completely agree that although they each have their respective differences in ideals, we cannot deny that they each have become strong and intellectual leaders who each show strong perseverance and achievement of goals.

[Lina]

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is an American Democratic Socialist and a U.S. House of Representatives member. She gained a lot of power and attention when she won the 2018 midterm election as the Democratic primary for New York’s 14th congressional district. She graduated in economics from Boston University and has an influential voice advocating for the Green New Deal along with speaking on topics regarding abortions and border issues.</span>

Frederick W. Smith is a very innovative business executive who created Federal Express, commonly known as FedEx. He graduated from Yale University where he wrote a paper on the concept of overnight delivery which later on turned into the creation of FedEx. Originally failing and losing money the first 26 months, he didn’t give up and kept the business afloat with money he won gambling in Vegas. As time went on, FedEx widely operated in 220 companies, and with rebranding and Smith’s bright mind, it was successful.</span>

Lebron James is a very talented basketball player who began playing well at a young age. He gained a lot of attention on the court and just in his sophomore year of Highschool he was chosen for the USA Today All-USA First Team. James was the first player picked in the 2003 NBA Draft straight out of high school and is a four-time NBA MVP.</span>

All three individuals gained a lot of popularity and are quite known in their respective fields, every one displaying leadership and making a notable impact. Their major difference is the fact that they have different fields, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez holds a legislative role advocating for what she believes and feels is right. Frederick W. Smith is a businessman and entrepreneur who isn’t afraid to take risks and continue to pursue his ideas. Lebron James is an extremely talented basketball player who grew up loving basketball and made it into his life.

I believe that leaders are both born and made, there are always going to be prodigies which a very healthy and advantageous environment who are set up for success. But then, one can argue that they’re being made into a leader due to their surroundings turning them into a leader. It may be quite difficult for a person born shy and timid to be a leader even if they’re forced to be made into one. It depends on the person’s personality and their surroundings, leaders are born and leaders are also made.</span>

• This reply was modified 7 months, 1 week ago by Lina.

[Lauren DeFrancis]

Lina, I appreciate your insightful comparison of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Frederick W. Smith, and LeBron James. Your perspective on leadership being both innate and nurtured aligns with the ongoing nature vs. nurture debate. It’s intriguing to see how these individuals, each from different fields, have made significant impacts. Well-articulated!

[Raymond Fleming]

Lina, you make an excellent point on how prodigies can be developed into leaders. I agree with you on this point because if someone is provided all the tools and resources they should be able to succeed. It’s then up to the individual to further make progress with given guidance and support. A timid, or introverted person can also be taught to be a leader through academics or on the job training, however I believe leadership attributes must already be inside the individual persons personality.

[Bryan Teutle]

Hi Lina, I do agree with the point that leaders can be made based on how they develop. There will always be prodigies that will come out, like Lebron James, but they are made into leaders by polishing their own natural talents and skills to come out on top of others. Even the surroundings of each person has an impact to shape who they are and it determines if they will let the obstacles block their goals in life or let it be a lesson for them to learn from.

[Matthew Edwards]

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a member of the Democratic Party and has been the U.S. representative for New York 14th congressional district she was 29 years old when she was elected to Congress in November 2018 and this made her the youngest woman ever elected into congress and was also her first time running for office.

Frederick W. Smith founded FedEx in 1971 and served as the company’s CEO ever since. Smith attended Yale University in 1962 and he wrote a paper in college outlining his idea for an overnight delivery service which became the foundation for FedEx. Under his leadership FedEx became one of the largest and most successful shipping companies in the world.

LeBron James is an American basketball player for the Lakers who skipped college and went straight into the NBA. while in the NBA he was able to get 4 championships and MVP and two olympic gold medals.

What these 3 people have in common is that they all achieved and excelled in their fields but they all come from different background like Frederick W .Smith comes from a wealthy background which his father was a successful businessman who founded Dixie Greyhound Lines and other ventures. and LeBron James comes from a poor background but has excelled in sports. After reading about these entrepreneurs I believe that leaders are Born throughout their early life they developed leaderships skills through experience.

 

[Jessica Munoz]

Hi Matthew,

I really enjoyed reading your post. I liked how you mentioned a little bit of their background so we could have a better understanding of the person we need to know.

[Lina]

Hello, I like that you mentioned how although they’re all very successful leaders, one came from a nice stable background while another was poorer. Despite the drastic difference in background and advantages, both people turned out to be well known, successful, and admired which is very sweet that anyone can do well if they try.

[Muhammed]

Hi Matthew

I like how you combined between leaders being born and also made. I agree that people are born with qualities that make them better suited to becoming a leader but I also believe that someone can develop those qualities without any natural gifts. They would have to work extra hard and maybe be put through a life-altering experience but I think people can defy the odds and develop themselves into great leaders.

[Caroline Rodriguez]

The commonalties each leader showed were purpose and drive. Despite each leader having a different career path and journey they all become successful and recognized leaders in our society.

AOC is one of the most recognized congress women in today history, despite her the hardship she faced when she lost her father and the pressures, she had to take to support her family, she still worked hard to follow her dreams. AOC broke a huge statistical barrier in the political world and paved the way many other first-generation Hispanics women.

Federick had a bit of a different background, although born into wealth he still made something of himself outside of his upbringing. Federick Become one the top shipping companies in the world, shaping and changing the world with faster delivery services. He did face hardship when at the start he lost millions of dollars, but he pushed through and become even more successful.

Lebron James is similar to AOC in the sense that he had to work harder to achieve is dreams. Born with the gift of being a talent basketball player Lebron when on to be one of the most successful and recognized players. He pushed his limits and never gave up even till this day, Lebron spends about two million dollars on self-care around his body to make sure he can continue to do what he’s passionate about.

All 3 of these leaders show a strong drive and will, to never give up no matter what’s thrown their way or where they come from. They fought hard to get into their position of leadership.

So, are leader born or made? I believe leaders are made. These 3 are just a small example of the many people in leadership positions with hundreds of more examples in both the public and private eye. Although there are some leaders who are born for example King Charles, but it depends on where you were born of course. But nonetheless leaders to me are made and it doesn’t matter who you and or where you come from. The questions is how bad you want it.

 

[Darryl Gunawan]

Hi Caroline, Thanks for sharing your insights about this topic. It is really exciting and meaningful of the way you explained each character’s journey until they became the individual of them now. I really wasn’t following the history of each person deeply. However, you shared it out with clear identification along with your perspectives of whether the leaders are born or made. Appreciate your post and well done!

[Raymond Fleming]

Caroline, Excellent viewpoint. I agree with your statement of leaders can be made, it just depends on how assertive and determined the individual is on becoming number 1 in their respective field. Leadership skills can be taught, however certain qualities like people skills, empathy vs sympathy, empowering employees, these traits have to be mastered over years of experience. I’ve worked as a store manager for various companies in my journey. I’ve identified certain employees in which I felt should be promoted and have helped guide them to a promotion. Certain individuals have prospered and excelled even higher in their position, others have encountered challenges or performance opportunities. They all have been trained, but didn’t possess the experience to think and act like a leader in some situations.

[Armani Warner]

Hey Caroline, The way in which you  articulated and explained the concept was exceptionally clear and comprehensive. Your communication style effectively conveyed the intricacies of the topic, making it easy to grasp and understand. I wholeheartedly agree with your explanation, as it resonated with my understanding and shed light on various aspects of the subject matter regarding leadership. Overall, I find your explanation to be both insightful and convincing, and I align with your perspective on the matter.

[Brent]

<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>What do they have in common?</span>

<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Something that all individuals have in common is that they were all persistent and relentless on reaching their goals no matter what challenges came their way.</span>

<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>For instance, </span><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made history when she challenged  and later on defeated Joe Crowley, a Congressman who served 10 terms as  the fourth most powerful Democrat in the House, in New York’s 14th congressional district in the state’s Democratic primary. Though Crowley had power and many years in congress, Ocasio-Cortez was victorious In her battle leading her to become the youngest woman to be elected to congress.</span>

 

<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>One who faced challenges in the midst of chasing their goals was </span><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Frederick Wallace Smith. Becoming the </span><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>president of Federal Express, an express-delivery service, he </span><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>envisioned</span><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>  </span><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>integrating </span><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>a system of airplanes and trucks to innovate the shipment of products internationally. Due to rising fuel prices Smith struggled to make profit ending up in losing 30 million dollars in the first 26 months of starting his business. Luck being on his side is an understatement because Smith was able to keep his business afloat with the money he won playing blackjack. With many new innovations like </span><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>the introduction of drop boxes and the online tracking of packages , Federal Express, now known as FedEx, was reported to be worth 40 million dollars in 2016 and the company is still prosperous and running.</span>

 

<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Lebron James playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers </span><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>lost their championship bid in four consecutive games</span><span style=”font-weight: 400;”> the 2006 </span><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs,however, during the 2007-08 season, James continued playing with the Cavaliers and helped improve their standing in the Eastern Conference. The team made it to the semifinals, where they were defeated by the Boston Celtics in seven games. James broke barriers that  year, outperforming rival NBA players such as </span><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Kobe Bryant</span><span style=”font-weight: 400;”> and </span><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Allen Iverson</span><span style=”font-weight: 400;”> by scoring an average of 30 points per game, the highest average in the NBA regular season.</span>

<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>.</span>

<span style=”font-weight: 400;”> </span>

<span style=”font-weight: 400;”> What stands out about these individuals? What do you notice that is different?  </span>

<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Although the character of resilience and persistence mirrored each other. Each individual exercises different abilities. </span><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez used her wits and her political savviness to climb the ladder in the political arena become one of the first congress women to introduce the Green Deal , fight against legislation banning abortion as well as laws like the $4.6 billion emergency border aid bill based of the fact that  funding the bill would lead to detaining migrant children and conducting deportations.</span>

<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Frederick Wallace Smith being the son of a successful</span><span style=”font-weight: 400;”> businessman who founded Dixie Greyhound Lines, among other ventures , as well as learning to pilot airplanes in his teenage years manage to take all that experience and used his business acumen and entrepreneurial skills to create on the most popular and successful delivery services </span><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>offering intercontinental services included with  the introduction of drop boxes ,the online tracking of packages and overseeing the acquisition of Kinko’s  which eventually became FedEx Office, leading FedEx to become worth more than $40 billion by 2016.</span>

 

<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Of Course what stands out about Lebron James and what sets him apart is his athletic ability.  Scoring 2,657 points, 892 rebounds and 523 assists during his four years at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School Lebron was an icon since his inception on the basketball court. As a freshman helped the team to a Division III state title by scoring 25 points in the championship game. As a sophomore, James was chosen for the </span><i><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>USA Today</span></i><span style=”font-weight: 400;”> All-USA First Team. He was the first sophomore ever selected for this award. His team also won the Division III state title for the second year in a row. From becoming an immediate star after skipping college to join the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers. He became the youngest player in 2003 – 04 the become Rookie of The Year . Also he led the Miami Heat to NBA titles in 2012 and 2013 and won another championship with Cleveland in 2016, before joining the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018</span><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>. </span><span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Only pure athleticism , raw talent , IQ and the simple love for his craft could get him so far in his basketball career.</span>

 

<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>Given what you’ve learned about each of these entrepreneurs: do you think leaders are born or made? Why?</span>

<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>I’d have to say it’s a mixture of both in terms of being born and made to be leaders in their respective fields.</span>

<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>I say that because all three individuals were born into unique and distinct families and circumstances that actually influenced and molded them to become the person that they are to this day. Everyone mentioned had an experience or some sort of guidance to lead them to pursue their craft in their respective fields. The point where I say they were made is the fact that even with the familial and environmental influences that came to mold them , it was up to them evidently to put in the work on their own, face adversity and  pull from the prior experience they garnered in their past from either familial or environmental circumstances in order to prevail and become leaders and innovators in each owns respective field.</span>

[Muhammed]

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Frederick W. Smith, and LeBron James. All three are innovators in their fields. They are all incredibly gifted and have shown determination when faced with the challenges that arose in their path. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and LeBron James are especially similar in that they grew up in working-class families and are heavily involved in social work and improving their community. What stands out to me is their ability to challenge the status quo despite the roadblocks.

The fields in which Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Frederick W. Smith, and LeBron James have made their mark are all very different. Also, the paths they all took were all unique Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became a prominent figure in politics, known for her progressive stances and advocacy for social and economic issues. Fred Smith, on the other hand, revolutionized the carrier service industry with FedEx, introducing a new and faster way to deliver and track deliveries being sent. LeBron James, while achieving fame through his extraordinary basketball career, has also made significant strides in activism, particularly focusing on educational and social justice.

Based on what I see from these three successful individuals, I would think it safe to say that leaders can be made. All three came from diverse backgrounds and faced different challenges and it is those experiences that made them great leaders in their respective fields.

• This reply was modified 7 months, 1 week ago by Muhammed.

[Caroline Rodriguez]

I 100% agree with your statement on AOC and Lebron challenging the status quo, they show that people that no matter where you come from or who you are, you can be the change that shapes the world.

[Jessica Munoz]

Hi Muhammed,

I really liked how you added, that AOC and James have a similar background it was a very interesting fact. I also liked your opinion on leaders being made.

[Armani Warner]

Hey Muhammed , I agree with the fact despite the apparent differences at first glance, Lebron James, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Frederick W. Smith share commonalities as leaders in their respective fields, demonstrating tenacity and resilience in overcoming obstacles.

[Jessica Munoz]

All three individuals are successful in their own field of politics, business, and sports. They all have achieved influence and recognition through their hard work and dedication.

Some things that they all have in common is that they show high level in drive and determination in what they are pursuing. They have overcome many obstacles and challenges to reach their current level of success. Leadership skills help them succeed and demonstrate the ability to inspire and influence others to achieve similar if not other goals that they may have. Ocasio-Cortez, James, and Smith have faces a lot of criticism and setbacks but have shown to bounce back and continue on their journey. They have been impacted with many things towards their industries that have made them better themselves on their field and move on ahead.

Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez comes from a political background, having worked as a Congressional staffer before running for congress herself, which helped her gain experience.She is primarily known for involving herself in politics, and activism, advocating for progressive policies. Ocasio- Cortez’s influence largely comes from her political position. Frederick W. Smith is the founder of FedEx, which is a global delivery service company that is very known. He had significant contributions in the business world through his leadership at FedEx. Smith’s impact is worldwide through the reach of FedEx. Lebron James is a professional basketball player who accepted fame through his skill on the court, plays for the NBA team the Los Angeles Lakers. He is known for his achievements in the world of basketball, consistently excelling on the court. James influence extends through his athletic capability in the sport and massive following.

It doesn’t really mater whether leaders are born or made, it is a difficult question that has many perspectives and opinions for each individual. Many can argue that they are born with natural qualities such as intelligence that can lead them to be leaders. Others can say that the leadership skills are later learned by experience and education.

 

[Caroline Rodriguez]

Hi Jessica, I really love your take on the questions, I can see where you’re coming from when you say leaders can be born or made there isn’t really one answer. It really does depend on one’s perspective.

[Raymond Fleming]

To start with all three are all entrepreneurs. They all had a dream that came to fruition. That is supplying the demand of cultural diversity and inclusion. They are all highly educated. According to the literature, Fred Smith was businessman with a grand idea that has pioneered the start of overnight delivery by establishing his company FedEx, which was resourced by a lucky game of blackjack in Vegas.

Now transitioning to Lebron James, he challenged his academics for a mediocre NBA team out of their ruts. Lebron has showcased with wins along legacy towards stellar teams. He is the most colorful player in modern times who showcases on bicoastal teams.

Lastly, Alexandria Cortez stunning triumph was the youngest woman elected to congress. She has maintained her strive for resolution proposals for the people, by the people. While keeping her humble beginnings in the forefront to generate value to the masses.

I believe leaders are born!! You are naturally born with the gift of leadership. Some skills and techniques can be taught, however natural born leaders its innate!

[Darryl Gunawan]

<p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>Hey Raymond, thanks for sharing your insights. I totally agree with your thoughts about these figures. Especially, when you mentioned that all of them started from their dream to fruition is a point that I never think about it when I was reading their background. It was totally make a sense when they were started from an idea and mindset of trying to be a successful individual. And also regarding your answer about the leaders are born, I agree on one side that some human being are given to be a leader at some points and also you also right about that some skills and techniques are needed to be trained in order to catch up their passion and better individual. Thanks once again for sharing your insights!</span></p>

[Muhammed]

Hey Raymond, I agree that natural-born talent is something that makes a leader but I would challenge you on that and say that most people who face hardships throughout their life are made into leaders and develop leadership qualities. But like you said some people are born with leader-like qualities and are naturally gifted.

[Bridget]

All 3 figures have a impact on our society they are very well known people and many look up to them. They are considered as leaders in our society. Alexandra Ocasió who is the youngest women elected to Congress. Fredrick W.smith who is founder of fedex company. Lebron James who is an athlete in the NBA.

They all strived to be where they are today. They all have different stories with their own obstacles in their field. One is political which is Alexandra Ocasio, Fredrick W. Smith who’s a entrepreneur And Lebron James who is an athlete. What all three figures have in similar is their determination, work ethic. They all worked for what they have today because when they began their journey it was from scratch.

I believe leaders can be made and born because every individual is different and according to each ones circumstances in order to get there for others it may be harder compared to others. Some people just have the gift of being a leader and so that would be considered as a person being born with it such as someone’s talent. A leader being made will learn and go through different stages in their life to gather the skills for becoming a leader. It differs for every individual so I say that it can be either or.

[Karim Badri]

Let’s start with an analysis of all three figures presented to us.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a fairly common household name when it comes to politics. She’s a vocal member of the House of Representatives and has a hand in guiding which laws, bills, and other such policies are created and passed. Besides that, she’s an avid activist of social issues that affect minority groups (especially regarding things such as border control) and speaks openly for changes to take place that would better aid our ecosystem.

Fredrick W. Smith is the founder of FedEx, which is one of the world’s largest delivery companies. His father was also an extremely successful American businessman who founded Dixie Greyhound Lines, showing the family had a disposition to transport-based businesses. Aside from that, he is also a veteran who served two tours and received two Purple Hearts, and attained the rank of Captain, a sign that he was a determined leader and effective in what he set out to accomplish.

Having to tell you who Lebron James is is like having to explain who Superman or Spider-Man is, but I’ll do so anyway. Lebron is one of the most successful basketball players to ever live and is arguably the greatest to ever live. He’s achieved more in his years playing for the NBA than some could only dream of accomplishing, paving the way for a new generation of youth to attempt to become the next greatest player.

Something they all have in common is that they all had the drive to become accomplished in their respective line of work, placing them on a pedestal that allowed for each to have a massive amount of public influence. Whether they do it consciously or subconsciously, all three gained notoriety and fame in their own right using their natural skill, be it cunning and smarts, charm, or athleticism.

Something that differentiates all of them is the level of success in their respective fields though. Fredrick created a postal service that works in tandem with the United States Government to get things where they need to be and ended up becoming one of the largest delivery companies ever, AOC works as a political activist and lawmaker/passer that works towards earning public trust (especially with the newer generation of voters) and Lebron shifted the field of sports in its entirety and created a legacy that will be solidified in the sports hall of fame.

Leaders are made and I don’t think it’s something that can be argued. You can come from a family of wealthy individuals and use that status to elevate yourself to a higher standing in society, but that isn’t leadership; it’s nepotism and having premade connections that you didn’t work for. Leadership is building a foundation to get where you want to be brick by brick and, in doing so, you also pave the path for people behind you. It’s like saying artists are born and not made. Say that to any artist and they’ll take offense. There is no such thing as natural born skill, only people that take to certain skills easier than others due to differing levels of interest and drive.

[Matthew Edwards]

Hey Karim I agree with you that leaders are made also I love how you mention that leadership doesn’t come from being wealthy and how someone can take to a certain skill easier to interest and drive.

[Lina]

I like that you mentioned how they may be gaining power consciously or subconsciously because for Lebron James, I’m sure he was just trying to enjoy what he liked; basketball so it wasn’t like he tried to be well known but he did. While for the other two, they must’ve strived, at least Frederick W. Smith to achieve his dreams.

[Bryan Teutle]

At first glance, all three of these individuals don’t seem to have anything in common. After learning more about each individual, they have a couple of things in common. Each one of these people are leaders in their respective careers, Lebron James led his team to victory and received the Rookie of the Year Award, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became the youngest female elected for congress, and Fredrick W. Smith worked to create the one of the biggest deliveries services known as FedEx. Even though they became achievers in their career fields, their paths to achieve their goals was not as straightforward. Both Ocasio-Cortez and Smith went through many obstacles in their early lives in and went on many paths before landing in a field they wanted to be in. Lebron and Ocasio-Cortez were also tenacious as they were both young when they both began making strides in their works. After looking at their paths in life, each of them did not have their paths already set for them but let their past shape them which lets me believe that leaders are definitely not made born but made. Lebron James went on to become a leader in his team and helped them win by making use of his talents and working on improvement. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez went through many events in her life from losing her father and working multiple jobs to help her family but used those hardships to strengthen herself as a member of congress. Fredrick W. Smith overcame his disease and he served as a US Marine before becoming the founding president of Fed EX.

[Armani Warner]

All three individuals, despite their diverse backgrounds, share a common thread of perseverance and a commitment to their respective goals. They have overcome challenges and risen to the top of their fields, demonstrating resilience and determination. Additionally, each has used their platform to advocate for social issues, whether through politics, business initiatives, or philanthropy.

The backgrounds of these individuals suggest that leadership can be both innate and cultivated. While certain qualities may be inherent, such as determination and resilience, the diverse paths of Ocasio-Cortez, Smith, and James indicate that leadership can also be developed through experiences, challenges, and a commitment to making a positive impact in different spheres of life. Leaders often emerge from a combination of inherent traits and the choices they make in response to the opportunities and challenges presented to them.

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