Achieving individual fulfillment is a process that is often determined by obtaining a sense of identity. Etymologically, heritage has been perceived as a relationship that involves exchange. It can be defined as the quality of values, principles and beliefs, which are passed from one generation to another. These qualitative aspects of life are usually negotiated and adjusted with time. The choice to maintain heritage implies belief in some aspects of the past, which builds and motivates the events of a time in the future.
I believe that the upbringing that children receive from their parents shapes their personality and character. The personality of an individual is influenced to a great extent on the principles, values and beliefs that were imposed on his or her character at the childhood stages of life. This entails a learning process in which an individual observes and adopts values that seem socially acceptable to the people living in the society.
Parents, relatives and our ancestors play a crucial role in our lives. Parents are the most immediate agents who influence our identity. They determine the behavioral patterns that they children follow by defining what is right and wrong. They congratulate their children for good behavior and also prescribe punishment for bad behavior. They influence the spirituality of their children through the religious beliefs that they hold. These beliefs have certain inclinations that parents pass on to their children. Religion defines the moral, ethical and spiritual code of conduct that its followers have a strong attachment to. I believe that parents, relatives and ancestors play a significant role in shaping the identity of an individual.
Genetics is a term that falls under the discipline of biology. It involves the understanding of heredity, genes and the variation in living organisms. Most importantly, genetics is the process through which an offspring inherit certain traits from his or her parents. This implies that some of the characters that individuals portray are a function of their genetics. It is not uncommon to relate some leadership traits in children to their parents as has been the case so many times in history.
Political monarchies and dynasties, for example, involve the passing of leadership traits from one generation to another. It is implied that the leadership traits are passed genetically. This concept is supported by advocates of the trait leadership theory. This group of theorists believes that leaders are unique individuals who possess certain attributes, features or traits in their personalities that enable them perform their responsibilities and duties in an effective manner.
Leadership was viewed to be innate in that individuals were either born with these traits or not. These traits flourished as a matter of instinct; good leaders have a good instinct. Another group of theorists disagree with this belief. According to them, leadership is an ongoing process. Good leaders are an outcome of a continuous process of thorough study, discipline, education, experience and training in order to become a good and effective leader in an organization.
I have come to the realization that the characters that I exhibit are influenced greatly by my immediate environment; my family. The experiences, principles, values and beliefs that were introduced to me by my parents have guided the actions that I have taken in my life. However, I believe that personal character is important but not enough to shape effective leaders. Leadership is about skills: skills that can be acquired by having the right mindset and opportunities.
Works Cited
Anheier, Helmut K, and Yudhishthir R. Isar. Heritage, Memory & Identity. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications, 2011. Print.
Haslam, S A, Stephen Reicher, and Michael Platow. The New Psychology of Leadership: Identity, Influence, and Power. Hove [England: Psychology Press, 2011. Print.
