Leadership is a complex and delicate process, and there is no single correct way of leading a team. Every manager has his/her own approach and attitude towards personnel. Just as each member of a team being led – various people interpret same actions of their leader in a completely different way. That is why management processes tend to drown in misconceptions and various so-called leadership myths. In this article, we’ll try to explain why average workers think what they think and what is actually hiding behind their false conclusions.
Leadership skills cannot be learned
The notion that leadership is an inborn feature is a misconception, which is advanced by the ruling class and especially those in monarchical regimes, whereby if you are born in the royal family, you are expected to automatically become a leader. Meaning, you start being treated as a commander from the very beginning of your life, even if you have no leadership skills.
It is the same thing in family-based companies where family members take up stewardship roles even if there are other more qualified personnel.
The corresponding fact to this leadership myth is that no one is born a leader and there is no correlation whatsoever between leadership and genetic predispositions. With proper learning and training, anyone can lead.
Great leaders control their emotions
Assuming that a manager is someone who cannot be affected by emotions is being unrealistic. A leader is a human being like any other, and sometimes humans communicate and connect with others through emotions.
That person could be a father of someone or a husband, and as we are aware, families have their own issues to deal with. Unresolved issues affect one’s emotional balance, and you cannot hide it no matter how hard you try as suppressed emotions continue accumulating but finally they explode. The way forward is to try your best to manage them to avoid messing your work.
You can only be a leader if you in the apex
The assumption that you can only lead if you are at the helm of an organization is a mistaken belief. In a huge organization, competent persons must occupy several departments and leadership positions. If you are lucky to be in charge of a certain department in a company like Customwriting, where many clients can find an affordable price to buy essay online, you should delegate the roles within your personnel carefully, as your contribution will determine the overall performance of the organization; your failure is a failure to everyone.
Leaders know everything
Some people assume that since you are in charge of an organization, you have to be a know-it-all person but this is not true as the primary objective of a manager is to ensure that the company’s visions and goals are met.
As a manager, you must find out how to be a team leader in order to harness the expertise of various professionals to work towards the achievement of these goals. For instance, in the automobile industry, there are mechanics, engineers, ICT experts, etc. all working harmoniously towards the achievement of the company’s objectives.
Women cannot be great leaders
This is a myth that had become so deeply entrenched in our societies to the extent that even women themselves used to doubt if really they could lead like their male counterparts. In the past, no one ever imagined a woman being a president but this is the reality today.
This belief has no place in the 21st century as people have awakened to the fact that leadership is not determined by one’s gender. Due to this, women have managed to ascend to top positions some of which no one could have imagined like the German chancellor Angela Merkel and Hilary Clinton who was a presidential contestant. Also look at how the stewardship of Mary Barra transformed General Motors in 2014.
Great leaders should be in the spotlight
Not everyone understands well the true concept of leadership as some believe that as a manager of an organization, you must stay in the spotlight. This is a misplaced belief as you can play your roles even without being in the executive team.
Great leaders humble themselves and are little concerned by fame. They do not have to call press conferences to report their achievements. On the contrary, they focus on management work and wait for results to speak for themselves.
Age matters
There is a misconception that the age determines leadership, but in reality, there is no stipulated age at which a person becomes an effective leader. What proponents of this leadership theory don’t understand is that one’s exposure level and a good grasp of issues determine ones effectiveness. If age is the only thing that matters, then the oldest person in an organization would automatically become the head.
