The chapter next looks at the different structures in which leadership development can take place. There are three major types: individual skill development, socialization of organization values, and strategic leadership initiatives. When I think about leadership development I think essentially about individual skills because these are the areas in which we can improve on our strengths and weaknesses. By developing our skills we can then use these skills in different leadership positions such as groups or organizations. On the other hand, being a part of an organization can be a great experience to help develop your leadership skills. I do not think it is good enough to work on some leadership qualities such as communication, if you don't actually try to use them in leadership situations. So applying these skills in socialized environments can help you develop as a leader.
There were also many studies that were talked about in terms of leadership development. The study about twins shows that 30% can be traced to genetics in terms of leadership traits. This means that research still finds that nurture is the major reason for how leaders develop today, but 30% showing nature is a large reason is very interesting. I am a twin myself, and I know first hand how similar my brother is to me. We have been involved in many similar and different leadership organizations and the experiences we learned from these different experiences definitely played the biggest reason in how we are different types of leaders today. I can relate more to the AT&T study well. I would agree that leadership motivation is one of the most important things for leaders to be successful. If you aren't motivated to do something or the people you are leading are not motivated, you are already starting on a rough beginning.
What are some outside factors that you can think of that affect leadership? How have you developed as a different leader than your friends? Family members? Twin??
