As you read this article think about the following question that often divide people in search of leadership guidance:

Are leaders made or born?

When I joined the US Marine Corps back in December of 1999 I often found myself thinking, if I would ever be able to lead these fine men that are known to the world as The Few and The Proud. As I further took on greater responsibilities, I continue to focus on how to better manage and inspire my Marines in order to overcome that fear of leading the very best.

John A Lejeune once said:

"Leadership is the sum of those qualities of intellect, human understanding, and moral character that enables a person to inspire and control a group of people successfully." - John A. Lejeune

To this day I still believe that our values that envelope us as we grow up, is the base that will make good leaders in this modern society. Values are the basic ideas about the worth or importance of people, concepts, or objects. Values guide our attitudes and behavior.

Values influence our behavior because we use them to weigh the importance of choices. We obtain our values and attitude through experience in society. Some of these experiences are given to us by our parents, grandparents, sibling, teachers, peer, pastors, youth group, boss, co-worker, news, Internet, TV. With this being said, values can have a direct effect on our attitudes. It is very important because they are the center of a persons character. They shape traits such as honesty, responsibility, loyalty, moral courage, and friendliness. They determine our attitude and behavior. They influence our feelings and action towards others or on social issues such as equality, justice, freedom, and patriotism.

Furthermore, I have a strong opinion that by being yourself, being loyal, and leading by example creates success in leading people in any team, club, organization, and corporation.

Being yourself; never try to be someone that your not because eventually you will loose respect and credibility from your peers and followers.

Loyalty; you must be loyal to your followers as they will be to you. Protect them from outsiders and they will return that loyalty to you as you will need it when mistakes are done in your behalf.

Lead by example; walk the walk, if you ask for your followers to be 15 minutes early, you as their leader must do the same.

As a young Marine i was lost and did not have a clue to what leader did or what was that secret formula to make people do what you needed them to do. But by being myself, being loyal to my peers and followers, and leading by example I've created that perfect synergy that formula that worked for me. It has been proven and by sticking with it will bring you success in your future endeavours.

So if you ask me weather I think that if leaders are made or born. Without hesitating I will respond that leaders are made, because through those very values that were picked up along the way made you who you are today.

"Leadership is being persistent with what you believe to make others believe in your leadership."

There are many books out there that will teach you how to become an effective leader.

On Becoming A Leader
by Warren G. Bennis
(Basic Books, 2009)

Leadership
by James MacGregor Burns
(HarperCollins, 1985)

Management Cases, Revised Edition
by Peter F. Drucker