This was my response to an essay question given to me in one of my creative writing classes. The prompt demanded expression of ideas on the topic “Managers –born or made?”

Navigating my way through a bewildering array of thoughts that hit windshield of my brain, I picked a few that held the promise of being woven into a coherent whole. Adaptable, quick-witted, motivated, creative, sensitive, disciplined, empathetic and persuasive were some of the adjectives that to my –still at work-mind- described a manager. But, are the managers really born with all these qualities or do they acquire them through some kind of training.This was what needed to be answered.And, here was my answer to the intriguing question. Managers are indeed born but transformed into charismatic leaders through exposure and training. They are people who demonstrate these qualities right from their formative years to the time they reach adulthood; they are people who hold the potential to become great leaders in future.They have talents that defy boundaries.It requires, however, a push, for these talents, as yet inchoate and latent,to be able to step beyond the limits. This much needed push, preceded by the identification of these hidden talents , is given by the management schools that stand steadfastly behind these saplings as their nurturers. Just as a film director knows exactly how to get the best out of an actor , transforming him, in the process, into a star, a management school knows exactly how to mouldthismass of clay into a predetermined shape that is  then ready to brighten the world with its innovative ideas. This process of transformation makes one realize and recognize his own talents and strengths and becomes ready within a span of a few years to take on the known and unknown challenges. The leader, within the manager, is thus groomed within the four walls of a school that has all the necessary resources to hone his in-born talents. Many decades ago, when these management schools were few and far between, most people identified their own talents and plunged into business ventures that ultimately catapulted them into fame.They became business leaders who were recognized by the world for their exceptional skills in steering their standalone ventures in the right direction.

In the ultimate analysis, it is the experience combined with the right exposure that transforms a manager into a leader. The preliminary exposure, however, in today’s times comes from the management schools that also make sure that the first step into  the professional world is aided by their dedicated placement cells.

One, is , thus born as a manager but groomed as a leader and leadership is what makes the defining difference.

Ms. Gurmeet Sodhi