2. INTRODUCTION
• A leader is an individual who holds a dominant or superior position within
its field and is able to exercise a high degree of control or influence over
others (business dictionary)
• Leadership is the activity of leading a group of people or an organization
(business dictionary)
• Traits of a leader includes:
-Influential -Transparent/honest
-Strong willed -Rigid yet flexible
-Organized -Good communication skills
-Visionary/act strategically -Firm and ambitious, has clear goals
-Creative and innovative -Reputable social skills
-Willing to learn -Able to admit his mistakes
3. LEADERS: BORN OR MADE
• A research states that a leader is both born and made
• When a person is born, he inherits genetic traits from his parents that
makes up a good leader
• However it is also believed that a leader is made through the
environmental stress that he is facing; experience, learning skills etc
• Both conditions may have contributed to the same outcome
• But I believe that a leader is MADE and not born
4. JUSTIFICATION
• This is because being a leader is a matter of CHOICE and CONDITION
• Inheriting the right traits does not necessarily make a person a leader
unless it is applied
• You are free to choose to be a follower or a leader
• In a situation where a condition does not favour to you, you might not
be able to take charge and lead
• A leader must step up to take the challenges regardless of the
obstacles to achieve goals besides than possessing the qualities of
one
5. SUCCESSFUL LEADERS
• One of the richest man in the world, numerous philanthropist award holder
• Built the world’s largest business software with partner, Paul Allen
• Became a millionaire at the age of 31 and turned into a billionaire within a
year
• Established a charity foundation with his wife; The Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation that focused on education, world health and investment in low-
income communities
• Believed that a portion of his wealth should be contributed to the charity to
provide them with a better future and prospect of living
• Willing to step down from Microsoft to focus on his interest in charity work-
chairman to technology advisor
• A reputable employer: provided benefit of a year-paid leave to his
foundation’s employees after birth or adoption
• Became a public health advocate and funded $12 million for universal flu
vaccine with Larry Page, Google co-founder, $50 million to Dementia
Discovery and $50 million to Alzheimer’s research
• Invested $80 million into the development of ‘smart city’ which will propel
forward the community
Bill Gates
Founder of
Microsoft,
entrepreneur
and
businessman
6. • Founded Apple Computer with partner, Steve Wozniak and launched Pixar
Animation Studios
• Started his dream from scratch. He had to sell his Volkswagen bus to fund his
investment
• Innovated new technology that revolutionized the computer industry;
simplifying the machine
• His ideas were continuously rejected and did not make it to the market and
soon left the organization after he was shoved away to purchase and
invested $50 million an animation company from George Lucas
• Managed to gain success from his company’s production; Finding Nemo, Toy
Story and more
• Joint venture with Walt Disney and became Disney’s largest shareholder
• Created a new hardware and software called NeXT Inc but did not make it to
the market again. He returned to Apple after his company was bought by
them and became the CEO in which he brought it to a success soon after
• Re-constructed Apple by introducing Macbook Air, iPod and iPhone that
caused a stir and revolutionized the whole industry (the trendsetter)
• Led the company to a $1.58 billion profit, $18 billion surplus with no debt,
stock $199.99 a share, became the second biggest music retailer in U.S, most
admired company in the U.S and number one among 500 companies
profitable returns to shareholders
Steve Jobs
Co-founder and
chairman of
Apple
computer,
inventor,
designer and
entrepreneur