I am into biographies of great men and I can assure that Napoleon, Elon Musk and Steve Jobs all had serious struggles when they were kids.
It is likely that kids who struggle when young develop an easier defence system which is more embedded into their thinking.
That said, it is comforting for kids with tough life's to hold on to someone they admire and often a good teacher is the figure they need to succeed in life and not give up.