Successful leaders exhibit a series of qualities and characteristics that determine their success. Whether these qualities are innate, natural, learned or trained, this is the premise of this work. Much research can be conducted to support various schools of thought regarding leadership development. This work will discuss my personal perspective regarding leadership development, examine leadership theory and characteristics to evaluate the origin of strong leadership, and reflect on the importance of leadership in government administration. higher education.Personal Perspective and TheoriesThe main leadership theory I believe in comes from John Maxwell and talks about the dual nature of leadership: leaders are born and made. I believe that some individuals are born with innate leadership qualities and that these characteristics, although infantile, if cultivated, evolve through experiences, training and development throughout life. Maxwell says that born leaders must be cultivated: “Leadership is developed, not discovered. The true “born leader” will always emerge; but to stay at the top, natural leadership characteristics must be developed” (Maxwell, 1993 p. viii). Maxwell says that individuals who want to become leaders fall into one of four categories: the leading leader, the scholar leader, the latent leader, or the limited leader. Maxwell argues that the leading leader is born with leadership qualities and has seen leadership modeled throughout his or her life. . The senior leader has acquired additional leadership skills through training and practices self-discipline. The "educated leader" is described with the same characteristics of the "leader leader" except that he or she is "born" with leadership....... middle of article...... is & Thomas, (2002), Dotlich (2005), Hartman and Harris (1992) and Maxwell (1993). These studies have shown that not only are leaders born and made, but that genetics, parental influence, adverse life experiences, and training and development all affect leadership development. References Avolio, B. J. (2005) . Leadership development in balance: created/born. Psychology Press. Bennis, WG and Thomas, RJ (2002). Crucibles of leadership. leadership, 60.Dotlich, D.L, (2005). Adversity: what most makes a leader. Ivey Business Journal: Improving the practice of management. Accessed February 16, 2014 at: http://iveybusinessjournal.com. Eicher-Catt, D. (2005). The myth of servant leadership: A feminist perspective. Women and Language, 28(1), 17.Greenleaf, RK (2002). Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Leadership