Gone are the days when leadership was about nothing more than having superior tech knowledge and/or skills. In today’s world, a whole new approach is taken. Modern leaders are tasked with the ability to motivate and inspire those around them.
The world is full of distractions and noises like never before. An effective leader must be able to block them out to avoid misguiding those looking to them for direction. There are certain myths that leaders must be aware of and able to debunk. In doing so, they will forever guide those around them.
One myth is that there is a formula for successfully leading others. However, it takes more than a checklist to do so. In the past, the adage of “fake it till you make it,” was strongly believed. Now that adage is being questioned and dismissed as irrelevant. It is no longer enough to act like other leaders in the hopes this will make someone a leader as well. Doing so can lead to mistakes that result in weak leadership. A truly successful leader knows how to emulate others while still staying true to themselves.
Another commonly believed leadership myth is that showing vulnerability and fear is a weakness. Yet everyone experiences these feelings throughout life. To be an effective leader one must share their own. Guiding others requires one to show that they experience the same emotions their followers do. Failure to do so so can make a leader appear to know-it-all, something most people don’t like in their fellow man. The strongest leaders understand that sharing their vulnerabilities makes them more likable and easier to relate to. No one wants to take leadership from someone they feel doesn’t understand them.
The myth that leaders are always high-ranking is also false. Many of today’s leaders started life with nothing, yet worked their way up to an unprecedented level of success. Leadership is about the internal qualities one can make external. These qualities are not only possessed by those born into privilege. They are qualities anyone can display. It is these qualities that make a leader effective.
Exposing the truth about leadership myths is the first step to a brighter future. Anyone can be a leader if they embrace the necessary skills and knowledge to do so.