Ever imagined sitting in your boss’s position and commanding his team? Ever imagined having those coveted general manager jobs? What are the key leadership myths that are holding you back?
I think any ambitious executive would definitely visualize this dream of commanding your own team as its boss. Changing roles and responsibilities of today’s management jobs and roles are not as one-dimensional as they were in the past. One of the toughest transitions to make is becoming part of the leadership team in your organization.
It requires quantum shifts in knowledge, perspective, networks and relationships.
What do you understand when I say leadership skills? A set of behaviors, and capabilities that a person needs in order to be successful at motivating and directing others. Most of us cannot claim to have been born with innate leadership quality that is visible to all.
Research states that most internal promotions happen because of proven technical expertise. You are good technically and so you can handle a team doing that process successfully. It is so obvious. But is it?
The presumption that previous skills and achievements that were responsible for your professional advancement will also ensure future successes is a fallacy. Future success rarely is built on the same platform as the previous. Everyone reaches points in their career where their technical skills no matter how superior don’t suffice. The situation calls for you to exude a necessary gravitas, an incomparable leadership presence. All the technical capabilities being equal, presence is what sets leaders apart from the rest.
There are several self-limiting leadership myths doing the rounds in the management world, often doled out as well meaning advice to people on the leadership path.
As an example, let me tell you about a colleague of mine who was promoted to the post of team leader. She was advised to start dressing a certain way, stop taking lunch with the team as was her daily routine, and maintain a distance between herself and her team so that imposing decisions becomes easier. She would be more respected if she followed all of the above. When you have a very senior HR manager give you such advice, would you take it seriously?
While researching leadership myths, I came across many more like “ You need a title to be a leader” or Leaders are always in control”, “Leaders lead, followers follow”. For people interested in researching these, the options are manifold. I picked some more famous ones at random for your reflection.
Leadership Myth 1: Leadership quality – Either you have it or you don’t
While it is true that some people are born with a certain skill levels that may predispose them well for leadership, but at the end of the day leadership is a set of skills and attitudes and behaviors, all of which can be learned. Even the desired charisma can be acquired. In an HBR interview, Marty Linksy says that people who believe this piece of conventional wisdom of genetic leadership skills end up suffering from destructive self-confidence because it leaves no scope of collaboration or self-reflection.
On the other hand, those who believe that they do not have this ability might not even attempt to try and fulfill their potential. For a long time, it was thought that introverts are not good team players and do not have a significant impact on business as they lack the necessary smooth talking ways. They were discouraged from trying for positions based on their personality.
Leadership Myth 2: Leaders must have some elusive, larger-than-life image
Another erroneous belief states that an illustrious “rock-star” personality is needed to be an effective leader, otherwise people will not follow them. A glamorous magnetic personality is not a pre-requisite for leadership and there are several living proofs today like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg.
Quiet, reserved and unassuming men counted among the most influential people in the world today. Similarly, there are many more such leaders who through humility and a dedication to purpose have quietly but systematically transformed ordinary organizations into the very best companies in the world.
Leadership Myth 3: Attain leadership success by emulating another successful leader
No one can be authentic trying to imitate someone else. You can learn observing a particular or desired skill-set and adapting it in your own inimitable style. But, blindly emulating a successful leader’s personality and people skills will ring fake, like for example a reserved introvert decides to play the gregarious person. Only your authentic leadership style that holds true to your work ethic, your values and your personality will resonate within your peers.
My objective in this article was in understanding how such superficial wisdom serves to cripple bright and intelligent executives. It was to provoke thinking along the lines of ‘do you know what is your authentic leadership style?’ Each individual is as unique as his DNA code so how can clichéd formulas work.
So, I believe it is critical to ask important questions like those enumerated below to figure your brand of leadership.
- What are your actual strengths and weaknesses as a leader and as a person?
- Who am I and what do I want as a leader in this organisation?
- What is the value proposition to I present to my organization? What do you care most about?
- How do I impact the business in a way that is authentic to me and resonates with others?
- How closely do your actions line up with your promises?”
I also recommend the article “Discovering your authentic leadership” for those interested in following up more of the idea germinated there.
