The mafia has a term for one of its own who transitions from an underling to a position of leadership: a "made guy." This means they have risen in the ranks of the "family" by demonstrating loyalty, leadership, and of course, the ability to commit nefarious crimes successfully and profitably. While we should not advocate the mafia style of leadership to anyone, it is interesting how the captains and bosses are always looking out for the next generation of "made guys" and are willing to invest time in them. They know that leadership is not limited to a son of the Don, but will often be revealed in someone who has perservered through trials and found worthy of being made a leader.
You've probably heard it said of someone, "they're a born leader," upon witnessing leadership qualities in them. However, there is a problem with the phrase, it assumes that all leaders are equipped with the skills necessary having just exited the womb! As if leadership can be genetically passed down, or prepared pre-natally. The fact of the matter is, leaders are not born, they are made through the experiences and reactions of life and the mentorship of other people.
Take Moses for example. He was born into slavery then hidden by his mother to spare his life from the infanticide of Hebrew babies, ordered by the Egyptian Pharoah. Moses was discovered by a princess of Egypt and grew up with all of the privileges that living in the royal household could provide: the best education, physical training, and mentorship in learning how to rule an empire. All of these experiences helped to prepare Moses for a time when he would return to his Hebrew roots and lead his people in a mass exodus from Egypt, to a land where God would make them a nation of their own.
Moses was not a great leader because he was born that way, but because he was made one through mentorship and life experiences. He did not just benefit from privilege and opportunity, but also from difficulties and challenges.
I have found that people perceive challenging life experiences in one of two ways: as great teachers or great torturers. If you are constantly looking at the challenges of life negatively and asking, "why me?" You will never be a great leader. However, if you understand that life is comprised by both blessings and burdens, and that we can learn and benefit from both, then you have the potential to be made into a great leader.
Leaders take advantage of all of the opportunities they receive in life. Most of us will never benefit from an Ivy League education or learning from the great business tycoons or political minds of our time. However, opportunity for learning and growth is available to all of us in extracting the lessons from life that builds a foundation for leadership.
Perhaps the most important foundation for leadership is not being "naturally born," but rather "supernaturally born." God has a way of taking all of our talents, abilities, interests and experiences and making us into what he wants to get things done.
The Apostle Paul wrote, "that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6)." When we allow God to utilize all that makes us who we are, we can lead and influence people, no matter what situation we were born into, and what we have experienced in life. Leadership is not a pedigree to be passed down, but rather the potential in a person to be developed.
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