The nature-nurture approach to a leadership lifestyle

The handbook for teaching leadership edited by Snook, Nohria and Khurana (2012) uses the organizing framework of "knowing, doing and being" to teach leadership. According to Snook, Nohria and Khurana (2012); knowing is the knowledge that effective leaders must possess about leadership, and includes research on leadership from various fields including psychology, social sciences etc. Doing, on the other hand examines what leaders do by focusing on the skills necessary for becoming a good leader. The final component; being, focuses on who leaders are as people, and thus focuses on the study of the leader's values and character.

I  use an adapted version of the "knowing, doing and being" framework to conceptualize a nature-nurture approach to a leadership lifestyle.

The Merriam Webster dictionary  defines nature (noun), as the inherent quality or basic constitution of a person or a thing. Along these lines the nature section of leadership in this blog will discuss the  "knowledge" component of leadership. It will therefore focus on the theoretical aspects of the knowing, doing and being framework mentioned above by discussing concepts (old and new) of leadership, latest research, case studies , and all other analytical knowledge a well-informed leader must possess.

I however use the definition of nurture as a verb from the Merriam Webster dictionary. To nurture is to care for, to feed, to nourish, to foster, to enrich. Nurturing a leadership lifestyle thus includes those things that give us sustenance. Benjamin Franklin was an avid reader, Aristotle considered humor as an important virtue, Steve Jobs discussed many ideas with others over long walks...Our choices of music, food, books are an important indicator of who we are. The nurture aspect of leadership is often neglected in comparison with its more analytic counterpart "nature".  More so, when time becomes a premium. What we do for pleasure is almost considered a drain on productivity, a blurb on our otherwise impeccable work ethic.

Yet, there is a cry for greater attention to nurturing ourselves. We talk about the generous vacation time in Europe, the importance of meditation, or just pausing. Which is why finding wholesome ways to nourish ourselves is important if we are to fully realize our true selves.

To sum up, the nature section will discuss the theoretical and analytical aspects of leadership, and provide a tool kit for aspiring leaders. The nurture section on the other hand, will discuss aspects that nourish and sustain a leadership lifestyle.

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