Many people have misconceptions about leadership. If someone holds an impressive academic degree or position in management, they assume one has the leadership. To a certain degree, it might be true. But in reality, an academic degree is nothing to compare with leadership quality. A real leadership cannot be awarded, given, or assigned. Leadership comes from the influence, and the influence cannot be delegated. Influence should be earned. Time really matters in earning leadership.
The following are the five myth of leadership:
- Management
The fundamental difference is that in leadership the power of influencing really matters, while in management what matters are the system and process of management
- Entrepreneur
It is assumed that sales person and entrepreneur are leaders. People might only buy the product, they are not necessarily the followers
- Knowledge
Many people believe that knowledge is the core of leadership. Practically those who have the knowledge are leaders. In reality, we will find many brilliant academicians or high caliber researchers with low quality of leadership. IQ does not guarantee leadership quality
- Frontliner
Another misconception is that whoever stays in front, who speaks loudly is a leader
And yet, the first one does not necessarily mean the leader. To be a leader, one must not only stay in front, but one who makes people follow up his/her vision
- Position
The most common misconception is that leadership is gained through position.
It is not position that makes one leader, but the one’s leadership makes the position
You will find many brilliant, talented, successful persons with limited / low quality of leadership. There is no shortcut to leadership. There is no shortcut to leadership, no matter how many years one leads the people. Leadership is the combination between strategy and character. Character makes trust and with trust, one creates leadership. Many organizations collapse because the leaders have no character. Despite the long listed achievement, the negative character in leadership will turn the organization into disaster, sooner or later.
(Source: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John C. Maxwell)
