Among the myths about leaders is that they are born and not made. When a leadership vacuum appears, there’s stress. Chaos threatens to erupt. It would seem that only a unique person, someone whose chemistry mixes ambition, charisma, and ego, can fill the vacuum. But when teaching an approach I call “the soul of leadership,” I begin with the opposite assumption, that leaders appear when awareness meets need. A person who knows what a group actually needs — the group can be a family, business, team, or political party — must be more aware than those in need. If they had enough awareness on their own, the leadership vacuum wouldn’t persist. Once the need is identified, the leader must take steps to fill the role that it demands. (more…)