Are Leaders Born or Made?
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Read the background story of each of these 3 successful entrepreneurs, activists, and leaders. Analyze, compare, contrast their backgrounds and personal characteristics.
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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After reading and analyzing the lives of these 3 successful activists, leaders, and entrepreneurs, I can say that leaders are made.
Alexandria, Frederick, and Lebron all experienced traumatic events that could have prevented them from becoming the people they are today. In the case of Alexandria, who was born into a working-class family and lost her father in 2008, she could have continued working in low-wage jobs such as restaurants to support her family financially. But that was not the plan for her. She attended Boston University, majored in economics and international relations, worked alongside Senator Ted Kennedy, and defeated Joe Crowley, the fourth most powerful congressman who hadn’t been challenged in 14 years for his seat, making her the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. Same with Frederick, who developed a crippling disease as a child but later recovered and then learned to fly airplanes as a teenager. Later, he would become the founding president of Federal Express, and thanks to his strategies, he was able to make the company worth over $40 billion dollars by 2016. As stated in the article “Fred Smith, Frederick Wallace Smith”, by the Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. Lastly, Lebron James. As a kid, Lebron had a natural talent for basketball. But this does not mean he was born a leader. After a successful career in the National Basketball Association, LeBron James could have just kept all the money he earned and lived a lavish life. But that was not the case for Lebron, Lebron decided to be a role model for kids struggling and attended charity events; gave donations to charities, and opened the “I Promise School.”
What stands out about these individuals is the dedication they put into their work. Alexandria has worked very hard on fixing the immigration system to the point where she actually went with a group of Democratic lawmakers to visit two Texas border facilities in early July 2019. Alexandria and her group saw the horrific conditions of one facility. She also claimed she did not feel safe with the Border Patrol agents supervising her tour. Frederick’s dedication to providing an express delivery service as he pictures himself, and Lebron’s dedication to helping the youth and poor by helping low-income families by providing support either through a shelter, charity, etc.
The differences between these 3 individuals have, are the goals that they are trying to achieve. Alexandria is aiming to help improve immigration services as well as renew energy sources for the entire country with the goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 with her “Green New Deal” initiative, along with Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey. Frederick’s goal was to create an express-delivery service that he envisioned as an integrated system of airplanes and trucks, this was a huge success as he also introduced the introduction of drop boxes in 1975 and online tracking of packages in 1994. Lastly, Lebron James’ goal is to help the low economic families’ communities by providing support.
To conclude, I would say that leaders are made. There are people who are gifted with enormous talents, but sometimes those kinds of people tend to become very lazy and get left behind by the people who work hard and become leaders themselves.
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that people acquire heredity of qualities and characteristics due to the fact that they are those need leaders.
If we assume that leaders do not come into this world with extraordinary gifts, then we can say that all people are born with reserves of abilities and reserves of talents. (Thomas Carlyle, 1840).
But there are certain innate characteristics that apply to people with leadership qualities. There is a huge difference between “mastering a skill” and improving it (someone is born with an amazing ability in music, sports, etc.). They will be simply excellent in terms of time, as other fish without water will be available to the limit of their ability to reach a certain level. Naturally born leaders are important from those who have become such through their work. All great predictions have their own interesting history. They have been leaders since the beginning of their earthly journey.Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician and activist. She has served as the U.S. representative for New York’s 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of the Democratic Party.
<p class=”topic-paragraph”>Smith’s father was a successful businessman who founded Dixie Greyhound Lines, among other ventures. As a child, the younger Smith suffered from Legg-Calvé-Perthes syndrome, a potentially crippling disease. He eventually recovered, and, while a teenager, he learned to pilot airplanes. He later studied economics at Yale, where he wrote a paper about overnight delivery services. After graduating in 1966, Smith served two tours with the U.S Marines during the Vietnam War. By the time he was discharged in 1970, Smith had received two Purple Hearts and attained the rank of captain.</p>
<p class=”topic-paragraph”>In 1971 Smith became the founding president of Federal Express, an express-delivery service that he envisioned as an integrated system of airplanes and trucks. It became operational two years later, with night flights from Memphis, its base, to 25 U.S. cities. Federal Express initially struggled—largely due to rising fuel costs—and it lost nearly $30 million in its first 26 months. Smith reportedly kept the business afloat with money he won playing blackjack in Las Vegas. The venture ultimately turned around, recording a profit in 1976. Smith took Federal Express public two years later.</p>
For Gloria, raising LeBron James and taking care of her own needs in Akron’s Sidye was like climbing Mount Everest unprepared. Although she initiated young LeBron into fostering local youth football career Frank Walker, who not only bought him his first basketball but also gave him his early training. In general, life at the initial stage was not the best.What connects all these people? Probably endurance and discipline. They all have different directions and different fates. I think these are very different people. As for athletes, it's a completely different story. There are people who have trained as much in the gym and given as much time as possible to training, but they are not as famous as Leibro James. It seems to me that this is for the most part two sides at once. Leaders are made and born. You have to be in the right place, the right time. I personally know a lot of such examples.
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When I was perusing the biographies of these three splendidly awesome people, I realized that all of them were made to be leaders, athletes, and entrepreneurs; precisely speaking, these talents were not inherited but gained. It should be taken for granted that everyone realizes their own interests and aptitudes in different fields as a child does so in numerous cases of life, but few people pursue their talents.
Starting from childhood, children begin to grow their interests in various fields; this enables them to follow their purposes, but when some force from outside such as family and society tend to neglect their talents and suppress them, they will mostly lose their confidence to become a very successful person (like those three people whose biographies we read). Definitely, the individual’s effort and follow-up, and stability towards the goal are the most important factors of progress, but in my opinion, family, society, and school also play a very pivotal role in this field.
Notwithstanding the fact that James was inherently bestowed to be a player, he literally worked out. This effort and also the god-given talent were not enough; external forces such as government and school paved the way for him.
From my standpoint, the reason for the success of countries like America is the support of children and students. No matter what field suits pupil’s interests, schools are meant to find a way to flourish their talents by discovering them materially. Sadly, developing countries have not paid due attention to discovering and flourishing pupils’ needs.
In my opinion, what these three people had in common was consistency in the way of the goal and unceasing effort. Truth to be told, an intelligent effort, not that they try without any idea or plan. Also, this sentence by James drew my attention, “It’s so much bigger.” I’d just love for kids to understand how empowered they can feel and how empowered they can be if they don’t just give up on their dreams.
In my opinion, the only differences they had were their goals and activities in different fields.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who I think is a very successful woman and whose life story really attracted me, was active in many fields. Although she had a hard life and had to work in different restaurants, she tried to get her degree from Boston University. She could spend the rest of her life working in the restaurants. By doing so, she tried and succeeded. This is a sign of stability and continuous effort on the way to the goal.
Frederick Smith was an American business executive who founded (1971) Federal Express (later called FedEx), one of the largest express-delivery companies in the world. As a child, he suffered from Legg-Calvé-Perthes syndrome, a potentially crippling disease. However, he was able to establish this great company and reached the rank of captain.
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After reading up on the 3 entrepreneurs, my stance remained the same- Leaders are made, not born! Both Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Lebron James came from difficult backgrounds which could have easily held them back in life but instead they persevered and fought against the odds. James and Ocasio-Cortez both have determination and grit. Both of these individuals know what it’s like to have nothing, come from the struggle and to have something to lose. Although Frederick W. Smith had to do some work to get to where he is, he had a good foundation. Almost everything was made ready for him and all he had to do was some minor fixing here and there.
In conclusion, leaders are made. Riches and immediate access to resources does not automatically make one a leader or gives them the potential to be one. The thirst and motivation to work hard and achieve the impossible or ones goals despite all the odds stacked against them is what makes one a leader
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