7 myths you need to forget about to become a leader

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Most of us want to become leaders in everything, especially in our professional activities. But often we are hindered from becoming real leaders by the arguments and statements that we once accepted as an axiom. In this article, we will tell you about some of these axioms that are actually myths.

A leader is a person who is able to lead others. Many people passionately desire to become a leader, study hundreds of brochures and books of the same name, attend trainings under the general title “Become a leader in 48 hours”.

Today we want to share with you the thoughts of Marc Sanborn, President of Sanborn & Associates Inc., who believes there are many myths around the leader and leadership in general. And to become a real leader, according to Mark, you need to stop believing these false beliefs.

1. All managers are leaders

Actually: some managers are capable of leading people, others are not. Management is one of the opportunities for leadership, but not the equivalent.

Managers have well-developed communication skills, they are able to organize the work process. They hire people to work. But if they are not able to identify the best employees, constantly improve the work of the organization, develop their employees, then they will not become leaders.

Leadership a priori implies favorable changes, continuous improvement and development.

2. Some people are born to be leaders

Actually: even someone with a leadership predisposition is required to master leadership skills.

A child may have a basketball predisposition, but if he does not train hard, he is unlikely to become a great basketball player.

In addition, the predisposition to leadership is not always as obvious as it might seem at first glance. So it is better to focus on what you can do now than to think and seek out life's purposes.

3. The leader always has the right answers

Actually: leaders know how to ask the right questions and know where to look for the right answers.

If people from your company constantly turn to you with questions to which they could find answers on their own, remember that you are depriving them of the opportunity to "turn on their brains and think."

If you give a person a fish, he will be full for one day. And if you give a fishing rod, he will be full for the rest of his life.

Leaders do not know “the answers to absolutely every question,” they just know where to look for them.

4. You need a high position to be a leader

Actually:to lead people, you only need to know when and how to do it. And, most importantly, you must be able to take responsibility for yourself and others.

When I stay at a hotel, most of the people I come across there - from the receptionist to the waiters and cleaning ladies - do not have a high position or authority over people, but they are responsible for the comfortable stay of all hotel visitors. Good staff are much more likely than top management (who is, in fact, a formal leader) to take responsibility.

A leader always makes people's lives better. In successful organizations, any employee can be held accountable, even if his position is low.

5. Leaders do it all on their own

Actually:a leader is able to motivate himself and his team to work.

If a leader has a great desire to work on a task, but he cannot “infect” his team with the same impulse, then he is not a real leader. This differs the leader from the manager: the manager, as a rule, is focused on the task, and the leader can make it so that not only himself is focused, but also the people in his team.

6. Leadership is ambition

Actually:leadership is the ability and desire to benefit people.

There is nothing wrong with ambition, but, as a rule, they only play into the hands of the person himself. If what you do benefits only you, you can hardly be considered a leader.

If what you do benefits others - customers, colleagues, suppliers, society at large - you can truly be called a true leader.

7. Anyone can become a leader

Actually: only one who wants to become a leader can become a leader.

You cannot force a person to lead if they do not want to. You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink. In addition to talent and ability, you also need aspiration.