Have you ever wondered what makes inspiring leaders? Is it in their DNA that makes them have this amazing ability to inspire others and make great decisions? Is it something they have learned that has contributed to their greatness? Is it something they have experienced that enables them to make the hard decisions?

A research conducted by Professor of Management Sean Hannah and published in 2013 in the APA Journal of Applied Psychology claims to prove that great leaders are born, and not made. They claim to have discovered that great leaders have more grey matter in places that control decision making and memory, which gives them a vital edge when it comes to making the right call.

Wait a second. How do you then explain other studies showing you can train your mind to sharpen your memory or train your mind to make better decisions in crisis situations? Most leaders didn’t live their entire lives always making the right call. The great leaders we have been fortunate enough to come to know come from all walks of life. From all varied family backgrounds, and even from all different levels of education.

One thing they ALL have in common is the lifelong yearn to continue learning and refining their abilities, and the ability to lead by example. Great leaders never accepted it when people told them “no you can’t”. Great leaders push themselves, to think outside of the box and to learn about other methods and ways which could benefit them and their teams. Most importantly, great leaders always put others before themselves.

Some might argue that’s not what a great leader does, and even between you and I, we might disagree on the essential definition of what makes a leader great. But we can’t disagree that a great leader unites. We can’t disagree that a great leader inspires us to do better. We can’t disagree that a great leader is able to adapt to their situations and surroundings to lead their people to greatness.

As Brigette Hyacinth, the author of the Future of Leadership: Rise of Automation, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence eloquently puts it, “if leaders were solely born what is the point of the rest of us studying leadership or management?” (Source: LinkedIn)

In Australia, we are expecting job openings for General Managers to be between 10,0001 and 25,000 over the next 5-years, with average weekly full-time earnings to be higher than average at an average weekly pay of $2,250 before tax. (Source: MySkills)

Whilst this is a bright outlook for current and aspiring Managers, it is important that those who currently are Managers, or those who aspire to be a Manager are equipped with the right skills and knowledge to excel in their roles. Given that a majority of employees leave their jobs because of their Managers, it is crucial that all Managers are equipped with a high level of interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence. It is not just important for Managers to have operational and financial knowledge – these can be easily learned. Without the right training to interact with and engage their teams, they are on track for disaster.

We found an infographic, courtesy of Forbes that you can print out for a quick reference. Our boss has one stuck on her wall which she says helps her greatly in her decision making process each day, and to remind her that her people, are her #1 priority.

Source: Forbes.com

If you want to learn on how you can become a great leader, come check out our  Diploma of Leadership and Management course. It is an Australian accredited, nationally recognised leadership and management diploma that equips you with the knowledge and skills you need to become an effective leader. You will learn how to develop and use emotional intelligence, lead and manage effective workplace relationships and team effectiveness, build and sustain innovative work environments, implement continuous improvement, manage recruitment and people performance, manage workforce planning, understand risks and budgets, develop and manage operational and financial budgets and plans, as well as learn how to undertake project work.

Generally, students that are interested in our leadership courses also have an interest in our Business Diploma. If you are interested to find out more on any of our courses speak to one of our team members or browse through our wide array of nationally recognised qualifications and career development courses on our website!

Always remember that you have to put in the effort to be able to reap its rewards! Don’t be fearful of hard work!