Insights · Leadership and people management
Are leaders born or developed?
Some people command attention when they enter a room. Their ease of communication and apparent confidence may help them influence others, but this does not settle whether leadership is innate or developed. Leadership is more than presence: it involves trust, decisions, ethical behaviour and the ability to help others perform well.
The question of whether leaders are born or developed has been studied for decades. Leadership must not be confused with the ability to impress an audience: it involves influencing collective decisions, creating the conditions for performance and accepting responsibility for people and results. Personal characteristics matter, but do not remove the need to learn.
Charisma: an advantage that does not guarantee results
Charisma can communicate a vision and mobilise energy, especially during uncertainty. It does not guarantee sound judgement, listening, consistent execution or respect. An engaging speaker may still neglect feedback, exclude colleagues or make poorly supported decisions. Evaluate the effect on the team, not only the impression created by the leader.
Charisma may make a speaker persuasive, but influence is not the same as effectiveness. A charismatic manager can still struggle to plan, delegate, handle conflict or keep commitments. Evaluate leadership through observable behaviour and outcomes rather than assuming that presence or personal popularity guarantees good decisions.
Does personality shape leadership?
Research has found associations between personality traits and leadership, including work synthesised by Judge and colleagues in the Journal of Applied Psychology. Such associations do not mean that a personality profile determines who can lead, nor do they justify selecting managers on charm alone. Context, skills and experience also matter.
Personality can influence how readily someone is perceived as a leader, especially through confidence and ease of communication. Being noticed or selected, however, is different from being effective. A quieter person can lead through listening, analytical judgement, dependable follow-through and the ability to develop others.
The Portuguese article cites a meta-analysis in the Journal of Applied Psychology covering 73 samples, which found associations between traits such as extraversion, conscientiousness and openness and leadership indicators. These associations do not imply that personality determines leadership quality.
Can leadership be learned?
Leadership behaviours can be developed through training, deliberate practice and feedback. Research reviews of leadership training, including the meta-analysis by Lacerenza and colleagues, indicate that design, implementation and opportunities to apply learning matter. Training is most useful when it addresses real managerial decisions and follows through on behaviour change.
Leadership development requires more than reading books or attending courses. It calls for practising difficult conversations, testing decisions, seeking feedback, recognising mistakes and deliberately changing behaviours. The most useful development opportunities are connected to real responsibilities and followed by reflection on results.
It also refers to a 2017 meta-analysis based on 335 independent samples that found benefits of leadership training for learning, behaviour at work and assessed outcomes. Programme design, practice and follow-up affect whether such benefits are sustained.
Can charisma itself be developed?
Certain charismatic communication techniques can also be taught. Studies by Antonakis and colleagues have explored how verbal and non-verbal communication can strengthen perceptions of influence. Learning to communicate an idea effectively, however, must be accompanied by genuine competence, transparency and accountability.
Communication techniques associated with charisma—clear examples, metaphor, expressive delivery and a compelling message—can be practised. Nevertheless, an impressive speech cannot compensate for unfair treatment, inconsistent priorities or broken promises. Behaviour needs to remain credible once the presentation is over.
Leading is not the same as exercising power
Formal authority gives a manager decision-making powers but does not automatically establish credibility. A leader earns trust by setting clear expectations, making consistent decisions, listening, taking responsibility and supporting the team's work. Using status to impose silence may achieve compliance without commitment.
Leadership quality becomes visible when results disappoint. Does the manager look for causes, accept responsibility and help the team solve problems, or blame individuals without examining the system? Authority enables decisions, but does not make every choice right. Clear standards and respectful accountability can coexist.
Emotional intelligence and humility
Emotional awareness and humility allow managers to recognise that colleagues need different levels of guidance and autonomy. Listening to concerns does not mean abandoning standards; it means understanding the circumstances before setting support and expectations. A willingness to learn from mistakes is a sign of responsible leadership.
Humility allows a leader to recognise gaps in knowledge, ask for evidence and draw on the expertise of colleagues. Emotional awareness can help a manager pause before reacting to conflict or criticism. Neither concept requires abandoning high expectations: they support more informed and constructive decisions.
The true measure of good leadership
Financial, commercial and operational results are necessary indicators of leadership performance, but must be read alongside team capability, ethical conduct and sustainability. Excellent short-term results achieved through burnout or damaged customer relationships may create significant long-term costs.
Evaluate decision quality, team development, cooperation, talent retention and the sustainability of results. A short-lived rise in sales or the admiration of staff does not by itself establish leadership effectiveness. Look at whether people understand priorities, can contribute, improve their skills and continue to perform.
So is it charisma or learning?
Charisma and learning are not mutually exclusive. A naturally confident communicator can improve judgement, coaching and analytical skills; a reserved professional can learn to lead effectively. Leadership quality is better assessed through behaviours and outcomes than a simple distinction between 'born' and 'made'.
Charisma can facilitate initial connection; learning strengthens skills; experience improves judgement about context. What matters most is consistency between words, decisions and behaviour. Leading is not chiefly about being admired: it is about guiding people, developing capability and taking responsibility for shared results.
References and research
- Judge et al. (2002) — Personality and Leadership: A Qualitative and Quantitative Review
- Lacerenza et al. (2017) — Leadership Training Design, Delivery, and Implementation: A Meta-Analysis
- Antonakis, Fenley & Liechti (2011) — Can Charisma Be Taught?
- Avolio et al. (2009) — A Meta-Analytic Review of Leadership Impact Research
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