Is There a Leadership Gene?

Scott Asai
August 05, 2025

Probably not.

But let me tell you about an innate trait that makes me wonder…

My son has this knack for “anticipating needs” at home.

For example:

When I come home he’ll meet me in the garage and ask if I need any help bringing items in.
If he hears something fall in the house, he’ll ask that person if everything is okay.
If we mention we need to leave or be somewhere at a certain time, he’ll give us warning ahead of time.

Now I’m not saying he’s future manager material, but there is something to be said about being able to “read the room.”

Isn’t that a people skill we expect from our leaders?

Not a mindreader, but someone who is connected to the situation enough to predict what needs to happen next.

Most would agree that leadership is learned, yet I’ve seen examples again-and-again where instincts kick in to rise to the level of need.

Even the most coveted people leader handbook will miss certain scenarios.

In those moments, your emotional intelligence will either appear or completely miss the mark.

There may not be a leadership gene, but some skills needed for leading people are difficult to be taught.

Many years ago John Maxwell coined the term, “the law of the lid” which was a fancy way of measuring potential.

Let’s use the context of an interview to illustrate this point.

As the interviewer or panel questioning the candidate how do you gauge confidence?

I’ve found scenario-based inquiries work best.

The answers to these questions reveal two things:

Every company has a culture where tenured employees reveal what a good fit looks like.

Natural leaders who show a high EQ tend to make wise decisions regardless if they have past experience or not.

How so?

Being able to strategically brainstorm and make quick decisions on the spot.

Can you teach this?

Technically yes.

But natural leaders usually have this built in.

Overall what I’m trying to say is start looking for active leaders who are doing the role with or without the formal title.

It’s the kid on the playground who takes charge and everyone seems to follow them.
That concept still happens in the workplace today!

I’ll close with an example that highlights innate leadership ability.

One of my favorite sports coaches of all time is Phil Jackson.

Most coaches are known for creating a leadership tree of disciples, but he fell short of that feat.

Why?

Because his unique abilities to understand, motivate and challenge players weren’t transferrable.

He used to assign books to each player on the team based on a struggle they needed to overcome.
At times he would create conflict within the team to get them refocused on the goal ahead.
Occasionally he would leak criticism to the media to make a player ponder if it was true.

Those traits are nearly impossible to teach.

Now I’m not saying leaders are only born that way, but I am saying to look for distinct qualities in leaders that make them stand out.

I bet you will.

And when you do share some of your stories in the comments below.

God Bless,

P.S. Continuing the theme above, here are some innate traits below to keep your eyes open for! 👀👇