A skill set called leadership.

Are leaders born or developed? This has always intrigued me as I believe that a bit of both applies.  Some people have natural leadership skills, and yet there are those who can be trained to develop leadership skills to the point where they could function as able leaders.  But great leaders, now that's something else. One site lists the following skills as being essential to being an outstanding leader:


Ten Basic Skills of Outstanding Leadership


• Integrity
• Vision/strategy
• Communication
• Relationships
• Persuasion
• Adaptability
• Teamwork
• Coaching and Development
• Decision-making
• Planning

And I would have to agree.  A great leader will encompass all of the above in his/her leadership skills base to be most effective when guiding a team or workforce towards predefined goals. A great leader not only embodies these skills but lives them and thereby is an active example of what good leadership is about. In my opinion the greatest leader I've encountered has to be former president Nelson Mandela.  I know it's become almost cliche to use our beloved Madiba as an example, but he stands head and shoulders about anyone else in this sense, and remains the one person I most strive to emulate.