When it comes to people with exceptional ability, many people want to know if the innate abilities of the best and brightest can be learned. Sure, lots of professionals and geniuses have a great deal of training. But would they have achieved their present level of mastery by some other path, regardless of the opportunities that came to them in life? Many people have different answers to these questions. But science is beginning to agree that there is no replacement for work when it comes to aptitude. Harvard’s Todd Rose has performed research demonstrating that there is no strong correlation between how long someone takes at learning a skill and how much skill they can ultimately acquire.
Extrapolating from this information, we can conclude that exceptional ability is learned. Some people get good at their chosen skill quickly. Others take a long time at it. It can be disheartening for this second type of person. They may feel that because a skill is so slow at developing that it is not theirs to master. But it takes so much time for an individual to become truly exceptional at an activity, that it renders the “Genius” idea (the person who simply understands a task with no effort put forth at learning it) nearly moot. As Malcolm Gladwell told us, it takes something like 10,000 hours to master a skill. Instead of worrying about whether or not you have the innate capacity for learning the thing, better to get started.
When it comes to leadership, this is no less true. Obviously, some people have natural abilities and physical traits that make them seem more apt for roles of leadership than others. But few are born with self-confidence and the desire to step forward into roles of leadership. Most of us have to constantly put ourselves in new situations where we can experience the possibility of failure. We also have to spend time learning the theory of leadership. Join The Leadership Challenge workshop for new information on how leadership really works: the nuts, bolts, and techniques of the great leader.
Once it is understood what natural behaviors best contribute to good leadership, it’s just a matter of will to put them into action. That’s the power of learning. It changes the plumbing of the mind, through which energy and effort are pumped. WIthout the process in place, our efforts won’t accomplish much. But by understanding the examples of great leaders past, we can imitate motions and actions until the skills are our own, and our own leadership is more or less set in stone.
So don’t get caught up in thoughts that you might not “Have what it takes” to be a good leader. If you’ve ever seen dogs interact, you’ve probably seen the Chihuahua who can terrify the Great Dane, just by being confident and acting according to social skills it has learned through its short dog life. People are the same. You don’t have to be the biggest or the strongest. Learn to leverage your knowledge, intent, and energy, and you’ll be a fine leader soon enough.