Can leadership be taught?

“More than Knowledge, leaders need character. Values and ethics are vitally important. The basic leadership can be taught. What is desperately needed is more responsible leadership-a new ethic to confront the challenges of our day”-Oscar Arais

Today Leadership has become “Buzz” Word and is taught in almost all B-schools. Most of the management schools agree that some aspects of leadership could be taught, although there may be differences in the views regarding how successfully leadership skills can be developed through formal courses.

I believe leadership can be taught at basic level. Habits of mind, values and dispositions, skills and knowledge are all requisite aspects of leader¬ship which all can be developed. People can be taught to take responsibility, exercise power and become active agents.

Aspects like reflecting, analysing a situation, ability to communicate effectively, prepare a succession plan, involve people, develop teams etc. are indispensable tools for the exercise of leadership which can be strengthen by practices of leadership.

Courses on leadership can benefit people enormously as they provide a platform where people can draw their experience, reflect on the challenges they face and the ways that they usu¬ally do things, and consciously put in place more effec¬tive approaches. Education and train¬ing as well as systematic and disciplined experience with feedback are essential building blocks of effective leadership which should be explored.

However, teaching like a formal class of leadership educa¬tion can explain less of leadership develop¬ment. Leadership can be developed through challenging assignments, human relationship, mentoring and any other experiences which may have impact on leadership development. These parts of leadership can be learned, but they're almost impossible to teach. And it's even harder to teach someone how to do them well. That is why leadership is an apprentice trade. One learns mostly by doing it. Development of leadership is more important than leadership talent. Someone may be born with a great leadership potential but talent can remain unnoticed if person does not get an opportuni¬ty to develop on its leadership potential. One will learn faster if one seeks out development opportunities, choose what one do and get feedback that can be worked upon.

The U.S. Army is a example of institutions that try to teach leadership. They emphasise on the "content," the knowledge and experience associated with acts of leading.

Thus the ability of leadership to be taught is more a onus on student than its teacher.

--By Bhavishka Sabharwal