Point/Counterpoint: Are Outstanding Leaders Born or Made?

Am J Pharm Educ. 2017 Apr;81(3):58. doi: 10.5688/ajpe81358.

Abstract

The question of whether outstanding leaders are born or made has been debated for years. There are numerous examples of historical figures that came naturally to leadership, while others developed their leadership skills through tenacity and experience. To understand leadership, both nature (the genetic component) and nurture (the environmental influences) must be considered. This article represents the work of two Academic Leadership Fellows Program groups who debated each position at the 2016 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Interim Meeting in Tampa, Fla., in February 2016.

Keywords: debate; environment; genetics; leadership.

MeSH terms

  • Fellowships and Scholarships
  • Gene-Environment Interaction*
  • Humans
  • Leadership*
  • Schools, Pharmacy