Are leaders born or made? The answer is both

• Just as a person can improve their physical capabilities, a person can improve their intellectual competence until they reach the limits of their genomes.
• The same is true with leadership characteristics.
  • The better a person can communicate their ideas in a simple, clear manner, the more effective a leader they will be.
    • The ability to analyze complex problems and break them down into simple, easy-to-understand concepts is also a natural ability that some people possess, and this is a great skill for a leader to be born with.

Leaders have strengths and weaknesses. How can they improve?

1. Leaders can become more articulate. They can practice speaking, study to expand their vocabulary, read and write to practice and improve their ability to clarify and communicate their thoughts.
2. A leader can also get better at 202108012053 - Simplefying things. By Detaching and thinking about problems more abstractly, by making simplification their goal, and by continually reprioritizing or removing things that are not really important, over time, and with practice, the leader will improve their ability to develop simpler solutions.
3. Charisma: leader can pay attention to their posture and countenance (a person's face or facial expression). A the leader gains experience, they also gain confidence, which helps their charisma.
   1. look people in the eye
   2. listen intently
   3. speak clearly with humble authority
   4. Project voice to be heard
   5. Improve ability to read people
      1. Pay attention to body language, facial expressions, tone of voice and establish a baseline of behavior to better predict mood.

How can a leader become great if they lack the natural characteristics necessary to lead? Simple answer: a good leader builds a great team to counterbalance their weaknesses.

There is one type of person who can never become a good leader: a person who lacks humility.

• Cannot improve because they don't acknowledge their own weaknesses, don't work to improve them

Author: & Jocko Willink
Reference: Willink, J. (2020). Leadership strategies and tactics
tags: #strategy #guidelines
page: 63-69