Leadership, and what makes or does not make a leader, is something we live with every day of our lives. We seek leaders in government, work, sports, and our private lives with PTAs and among our friends when we are being galvanized for a specific reason. If you ask most people, in whatever case, they are seeking a bold, innovative, inclusive, and transformational leader.
Sometimes, however, we are disappointed because our leaders lack those qualities that helped them achieve a position of power. In my travels and business, I have found that oftentimes, when this happens, we attribute qualities to leadership, which are, in actuality, myths. And, if we disposed of these illusions, we might be able to bring to the forefront high-quality leaders in all aspects of our public and private lives.
Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile. – Vince Lombardi
Leaders are Born, Not Made
This is simply not true. Great leaders become themselves through commitment, hard work, and dedication to the goal. One of the most enduring myths is that we will know a leader because of some ephemeral gifts he or she is born with. Still, the finest leaders in business, sports, and government have worked very hard to ultimately become the leaders that move a company, team, or even a nation.
There is no substitute for hard work. – Thomas Edison
Leaders Work Smarter, Not Necessarily Harder
Yes, they work smart, but they also work hard. Leaders, by definition, lead by example. This does not mean working less. It means working hard and carefully managing their time and resources to succeed. They inspire those who follow them to excel at what they are doing and to extend themselves beyond what they thought possible.
If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities – Maya Angelou
Managers are Leaders
This is an enduring leadership myth. Simply because someone has a management role within a business or non-profit does not necessarily mean they are leaders. In fact, these two pursuits can be mutually exclusive. Think of managers you know. Would you call some of them leaders? Some, but probably not all. Now, think of leaders you know. You might find that you know leaders who are not in management positions, but yet they inspire others.
A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves. – Lao Tzu
Leaders are Extroverts
Perhaps. But, leaders may not necessarily be extroverts. Many famous and successful leaders have been introverts. In Peter Drucker’s experience, he found that leaders were often not extroverts but introverts. Abraham Lincoln, Bill Gates, Albert Einstein, Rosa Parks, and Eleanor Roosevelt have all been considered introverts. Still, each exerted incredible skills as a leader during his or her time.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. – Margaret Mead
Men are the Better Leaders
There are still some who view leadership through the lens of gender, which is a leadership myth. According to a study by the Pew Charitable Trust, 69% of those surveyed believed men and women are equally good leaders. Still, a study from The White House Project found that only 18% of women are in leadership positions across different employment sectors. There is still a lot of work remaining to shift this imbalance significantly in favor of women as leaders.
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