Yes. But who?
To be a leader, you need to establish a path. You might have done years in the military. You might own a business. You might have run a foundation with people depending on your success. If the best you can claim is professor status...running a community contributions funnel...sitting in the state-house of some government...and do two years of Senate time....then you probably haven’t engaged anyone with your leadership ability, or developed a strategy on leading.
Sadly, you will allow others to run your affairs, and you simply stand to the side to give speeches and be a figurehead of sorts. A term as governor of Illinois might have prepared him more, and at least shown him the values of leadership.