Developing leadership capability: What's inside the black box?

Many factors shape the extent to which an individual becomes a leaders, including genetic predisposition, family environment, school experiences, hardships, job experiences, bosses, organizational incentives, and training. It is not a matter of whether leaders are born or made. They are born and made. Feedback on performance is moderately important in shaping leadership ability. Some people possess leadership talent but choose not to exercise it. Leadership requirements vary by situation and by level. Fortunately, a handful of organizations have developed interventions to prepare their managers for role transitions using an explicit set of leadership competencies required in the new roles along with action learning and executive feedback forums. One of the most intriguing topics is whether managers and executives can develop a leadership capacity for great versatility in style or approach.