We always see discussions about leadership on the internet and some even get heated. This is because there is no one definition of leadership and it can be very personal to you how you like to lead. There are things we can all do to improve our leadership such as being self aware and understanding the world around us but what about those myths that just won’t go away? Wellwe bust 5 of the top ones right here, right now.
- Leaders must stamp their authority on a team
The choice of words here is telling, stamp is a fairly aggressive term. Throughout my career, I have seen leaders try to stamp their leadership and process upon their team. It most always leads to a very disengaged team that harbors resentment for their ‘boss’. A team is like a flower, it grows and blooms, but this requires care. I always say that I am leading my team or that I am looking after my team. This is because I am always keeping up with my team members and making sure they are ok with their tasks, know what to do and that it is helping them develop. Each Team member is very different and so needs different approaches, different taskings, and potentially different communication. If there is one thing I have learned from teaching large classes of teenagers, and indeed adults, it’s that one size does not fit all.
- Leaders must never show Vulnerability
Leaders have to admit their mistakes and show when they are having a hard time. No we don’t need to have a team meeting and burst into tears but we can admit our mistakes. This is powerful as it shows that a leader doesn’t always have to be perfect. As a Leader we have a huge amount of pressure from above and we can end up with a large weight on our shoulders. I have always communicated with my team where change is happening and got their take on things in order to help develop that change in a positive way for my team. I also don’t’ see the point in not admitting that change is coming because the office grapevine normally knows before we do. Being open and honest with your team is absolutely key.
- Leaders must always be perfect
Leaders are human. We are all human. We all make mistakes. It’s our ability to apologise and make things better that matters. It isn’t useful for your team to think that , to be a leader, they need to attain some level of perfection that doesn’t exist. This can put your team off leadership positions and also cause a lot of tension. If you put that type of pressure on a team they may not show you their work and they may stop being open because they are afraid of criticism for not being perfect. Show your team that mistakes are learning opportunities and that if we don’t learn we don;t grow. Really mistakes are a crucial part of growth.
- Only the Boss can Lead
This is a really funny myth. I really like all of the people in my teams to have opportunities to lead. After all, for those that want it, I am making sure they can take my job and even surpass me one day. Not all leaders will be the same and some need more coaching than others but all of us can learn how to lead. It’s especially powerful having leaders in the team as it is empowering for the team. It’s not an ‘us and them’ it’s just ‘us’. I would change this myth to say Not only the Boss can Lead.
- Management equals Leadership
Management and Leadership, as we cover in the podcast and the courses, are completely different. Ina nutshell, Leaders exude vision and people skills, Managers like process and optimisation. It’s not to say the two roles don’t overlap but take a look around you at work; see if you can spot the Managers and the Leaders. One normally doesn’t have too much interaction with the team and the other doesn’t stop interacting with the team. When Leadership is done right it involves a lot of communicating and not much data and optimising!
We hope this helps bust some Myths, let us know which you would like us to bust next!
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