Can Anyone Become a Leader?

While reading some excerpts from Seth Godin's book Tribes, we came across the statement: "The market needs you (we need you) and the tools are there, just waiting. All that's missing is you, and your vision and your passion." This sparked the discussion of the true meaning of a leader, and the questioning of if anyone can become a leader. It is said that a leader is generally a charismatic individual that can inspire others through his/her ideas & passion. We went on to explore what others have defined as a "leader" and found:

"A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be." -Rosalynn Carter

"If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader." -John Quincy Adams

"A leader is one who knows where he wants to go, and gets up, and goes." -John Erksin

SO.....can anyone can become a leader?

When we discussed this our first thought was that some people are just meant to be leaders, while others are just meant to merely be followers. The more we thought, we came to the conclusion that everyone has at least some leadership qualities, and in some way could be leading or inspiring others and simply not recognize it. All it takes to be a great leader is passion, belief, and a firm commitment. So we encourage everyone, be committed to your passions, follow them and connect with people that inspire you to inspire others.