Leadership Myths

A myth is a widely held but false belief or idea. There are persistent leadership myths that permeate our culture and quietly influence how we conduct ourselves in the workplace and beyond.

Myth 1: Leaders Are Born, Not Made

Some people believe that being a leader is either in one’s genes or not; others believe that life experiences mold the individual and that no one is born a leader. Which view is right? In a sense, both and neither.

Both views are right in that innate factors as well as formative experiences influence many sorts of behavior, including leadership. Yet both views are wrong to the extent they imply leadership is either innate or acquired; what matters more is how these factors interact.

It does not seem useful to think of the world as comprising two mutually exclusive types of people, leaders and nonleaders. Thus, it may be more useful to address how each person can make the most of leadership opportunities s/he faces.

Myth 2: Leaders Work Smarter, Not Harder

There are definite ways to be smarter about prioritizing your tasks effectively, planning your day wisely to increase your productivity, and, as a leader, to know when and what tasks to delegateOpens in new window. Yet, it would be true to say that successful people always work very hard on realizing their dreams.

Great leaders empower others or their teamsOpens in new window to do more; they are very protective of their time, and they are shrewd in applying their knowledge and experience in order to move forward and avoid mistakes either they themselves or others made in the past.

This could be called “working smart.” But nothing great has ever been achieved without working hard. Truly great or even good leaders lead by example, they are first in and last ones out, they are fully invested in the vision of their organizations and, through showing their dedication, they inspire people around them to show the same kind of commitment and display the same behaviors.

Myth 3: Leaders Are Always “On”

There’s a misconception that leaders must be “on” 24/7/365. The truth is that everyone, regardless of the leadership position, needs a break from work. Even though great leaders work hard, they realize that they need the space to be able to strategize, to think, to create.

Leaders like Bill GatesOpens in new window and Steve JobsOpens in new window were known to go away for extended periods of time to reconnect with themselves, their vision, and their ideas. Leaders need to find that place of wisdom, strength, and real connection (with themselves and others) and they need to lead from that place.

In the end, good leaders recognize that they need time away in order to reflect and focus on what matters, such as spending time with their family, exercising, or learning new information. By taking breaks, leaders can clear their head and de-stress. As a result, they will become a more energized, focused, and creative leader. Smart leaders also build the culture of creativity through encouraging their employees to take time to reflect.

Myth 4: Good Leadership Is All Common Sense

This myth says one needs only common sense to be a good leader. The problem is with the ambiguous term “common sense.” It implies a common body of practical knowledge about life that virtually any reasonable person with moderate experience has acquired.

A challenge to understanding leadership and/or being or becoming a good leader may be to know when common sense applies and when it does not. If leadership were nothing more than common sense, there should be few, if any, problems in the workplace. Effective leadership must be something more than just common sense.

Myth 5: Leaders Can’t Show Vulnerability

Perhaps one of the most prevalent myths is that leaders, no matter the situation, must dig in and stand their ground. If they accept fault, change direction, or listen to others, then that’s a sign of weakness. Of course, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Effective leaders own their mistakes so that they can learn from them. They’re receptive to feedbackOpens in new window—even when it’s negative. They don’t have all the answers and they recognize this. And, they show off their humanity by listening and caring for their employees.

Myth 6: A Great Leader Is Cold, Fierce, and Omnipotent

There is perhaps no employee who is a known-it-all. They act tough, talk a big game, and separate themselves from the rest of the team. Ask anyone to think about their performance while under this individual? It shouldn’t be a surprise that the employees weren’t as productive and motivated as they could have been.

Employees want their leaders to care for them genuinely. They want to feel respected. And, the employee wishes for their thoughts and concerns to be listened to with kindness. The best way to sharpen these leadership sills is by boosting emotional intelligenceOpens in new window. Increasing a leader’s emotional IQ will help them become more self-aware, empathetic, and a better communicator. As a result, they will build a strong rapport with their direct reports or team, peers, and bosses.

Myth 7: All Leaders Are Trailblazers

Being a trailblazer isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Trailblazers, after all, are ambitious, competitive, calculated risk takers, and goal oriented. At the same time, they are also independent and a driving force behind a group or team or division or organization.

An independent and driving force can make working with others a challenge. For example, while they are out impressing clients, investors, and customers through speaking engagements and pitches—there is no one back rallying the troops.

While trailblazers can definitely get people to jump on board with their vision, good leaders know when to step back. A good leader will recognize talent and work alongside their direct reports to propel everyone towards a shared mission and vision.

Myth 8: Extroverted Leaders Are Better Than Introverted Leaders

What’s the difference between extroverts and introverts? Most people believe an extrovert is how they act in social settings. Extroverts are thought to be more outgoing and confident.

Introvert are considered shy and withdrawn. However, being extroverted or introverted has more to do with how we process information. Extroverts work through problems by discussing them and seeking the advice and input from others.

Introverts process their thoughts and conflicts internally. Because of these differences, it shouldn’t be surprising that extroverts are drawn to leadership roles. Being a leader means engaging with other people, right?

The reality is that not all extroverts are cut out to be leaders. A lot of successful individuals are introverts. Just because someone is not the head of an organization, division, department, or groupOpens in new window, or teamOpens in new window, or comfortable in crowds, doesn’t mean that they won’t be a good leader.

Myth 9: The Best Leaders Learn From the School of Hard Knocks

Some people question whether leadership can develop through formal study, believing instead it can be acquired only through actual experience. The reality is that it is a mistake to think of formal study and learning from experience as mutually exclusive or antagonistic. In fact, they complement each other.

Rather than ask whether leadership develops from formal study or from real-life experience, it is better to ask what kind of study will help individuals learn to discern critical lessons about leadership from their own experience. Approaching the issue in such a way recognizes the vital role of experience in developing leaders, but it also admits that certain kinds of study and training can improve a person’s ability to garner important lessons about leadership from experience.

Myth 10: Leadership Is About Results, Not People

As the pace of life continues to quicken, organizations and employees have become increasingly action oriented and results driven.

It seems more expedient to dispense with all the “soft” stuff and drive hard for outcomes. Unfortunately, when we are disconnected from ourselves and others, this incessant doing leads to actions that are not grounded and leaves people feeling disconnected from the work and results they are achieving.

Leading is about people and helping them achieve results. The more that people are focused on, trusted and empowered by their leaders, the more they will accomplish.

Myth 11: Failure Is Not an Option

This line of thought is not conducive to growth and change. Failure is an essential part of exploration, new discovery, and encouraging innovation.

If leaders (or others) cannot afford to fail, then they must stay with proven approaches from the past. Their actions lack curiosity and exploration because they are so afraid of failure that they aren’t willing to try something new. It is only through failure that they can learn, evolve, and grow. It is important for leaders to embrace and celebrate failure as an important aspect of development and discovery.

Myth 12: Leaders Are Only at the Top

The myth that leadership prowess belongs only to one or two people at the top of a pyramid of power and control is gone. In reality, leadership is at all levels of an organization. Successful organizations invest in developing leaders at all levels and equally value all the leaders no matter their title, role, or level.

To understand and learn what leadership is and is not; it is important to be aware of leadership truths and myths that exist. Fostering strong leadership at all levels of an organization is possible by avoiding the debunked leadership myths discussed above.

Therefore, it could be argued that organizations need strong leaders to be successful. There are several conclusions for leaders to be drawn from this discussion.

First, realistically, all of those who are responsible for others or who have followers or direct reports are leaders. For example, leaders at any level who put their own interests above those of their employer or who fail to motivate, guide, or positively influence their direct reports or teams would not be classified as good leaders.

Second, effective leadership requires effective managerial and leadership skills at some level.

Third effective leaders need to possess some leadership traits in order to optimize the performance of others.

It is important for leaders to understand that although it is useful for leaders to have managerial and leadership skills, it is not essential; certainly, it is advantageous for leaders to understand the discipline of management and have a background in the management functions, but it doesn’t mean they need to be managers as well as leaders. Their primary strength lies in the ability to influence the behaviors and work of others in order to realize theirs or the organization’s vision and to achieve set goals.

Think back to our earlier answer to what makes an effective leader where it was suggested that one could single out political history figures like CaesarOpens in new window or in other areas of life like Martin Luther King, Jr.Opens in new window and Susan B. AnthonyOpens in new window, or Winston ChurchillOpens in new window or former CEOs like Jack WelchOpens in new window.

We tend to place such individuals on a pedestal. They might seem smarter, stronger, or more courageous than the average person. When, in fact, they are fallible beings, just like other individuals or employees. Yes, they command respect and admiration from others, but their status in the workplace was probably hard earned through trial and error, coachingOpens in new window and mentorshipOpens in new window, continued learning and the ability to adapt and evolve over time.

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