How do you define leadership and how does an organisation develop or create leaders?
Leadership is a self-determined act and leaders are self-made people. It is key for organisations to devise smart ways of identifyingleaders. The process itself is a development process. It is imperative for the organisation to ensure that careers are full of defining moments. Each of these moments constructs the road to leadership. Each defining moment provides the leader with an opportunity and he keeps travelling on the road until the `learning' or `leaving' occurs. Leaders are hence thrown out of a natural selection process rather than `created'.

What can organisations do to enable the natural selection process for throwing up leaders?
It is crucial for an organisation to furnish employees with an appropriate organisational structure which allows for lesser layers, cascade business units, have clear cut lines and finally, ensure a dynamic environment. Further, appropriate HR processes which emphasise career management, some training and a lot of leadership to inspire employees, is in order. Above all, the organisation structure has to provide plenty of `defining moments' in careers.

What exactly would constitute a`defining moment'?
Defining moments are linked to a cascade of challenges. They are manifest in a career that keeps throwing challenges at people until the learning or leaving happens. This learning and leaving does not indicate a clinical `get it right, every time' attitude. Challenges are not meant to be won over always. It is more about learning through an experience and using the same in subsequent challenges.

What role do training and other development activities play in developing leadership qualities?
No amount of training can `create' or `build' leaders. Training can only be deployed to address a few faults and enhance capabilities in already developing leaders.