• Are leaders born or made? Explain. Where in your background would we find evidence of your leadership capacity and/or potential?

Leaders are both born and made. But a leader will never obtain his full potential without training and education. That said, most of us are familiar with the “born leader”, maybe our first experience with such an individual occurred during our youth. There was inevitably that one kid that took command and others followed. They personified adventure, charisma and “inspire risk taking” (Welch, 2005). Those elements are difficult to teach and even harder to develop from scratch. When someone embodies the combination of those traits, it will translate in to a form self-confidence that is infectious.

Reflecting on my childhood, I was one of those ‘natural-born leaders’. I grew up in the foster care system, and lived in the projects of East Baltimore. I was filled with an uncanny spirit of boldness. By my 8th birthday, I had lived in 3 different homes and I approached each living situation as an adventure. I honestly never felt like nor reacted as a victim. I have to admit there was the factor of luck. I was blessed with athletic prowess and good looks, and I used both to my advantage to “get in the door”. But it was my intellectual ability, quick thinking and charismatic gifts that kept me “in the room”.
My ability to accept responsibility, responsibility for my decisions and to be confident and believe my truth – even if in the end I was wrong; was and is my greatest leadership quality. Studies have shown that certainty gives us a sense comfort. We waste less time and it rewards learning (Burton, 2008). This has been the foundation of my self-confidence. It has allowed me from a young age to take insufficient information and make appropriate decision (Welch, 2005).
As I matured, my leadership skills were more