Does It Take A Crisis To Create A Leader?

Moses, Abe Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and even Steve Jobs are acknowledged as great leaders, but only after being tested by turmoil. So the question is; “Do great leaders arise out of the ashes of pending defeat and soar into the sky “faster than a speeding bullet”, or were they great leaders before their call to duty?


History exposes how many superior leaders were initially failures as leaders and in many cases also failures as human beings. Alcoholism, drug use and other human failures are a common occurrence among the list of extraordinary leaders. Ulysses S. Grant, Winston Churchill both come to mind as boozers, yet both are regarded as extraordinary leaders of their times.


That creates a side question of; “Is it OK to be an alcoholic or drug dependent if you are still good at what you do?”


Back to the original question; “Does it take a crisis to create a leader?” Are there great leaders that were not born of conflict?


This is a classic debate between nature vs. nurture.


Please weigh in on this one. Let’s hear from you.