The Myths of Leadership
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 (NIV)
I believe that many people aren’t the leaders that they were created to be because they believe and buy into the myths of leadership. What is a myth? A myth is a widely held but false belief or idea. Faith comes by hearing therefore we believe what we constantly hear. There has been some lies about leadership and you need to know the truth so you can be who God created you to be! Let’s learn about these myths and let’s debunk them.
Top 10 Leadership Myths…
- The Position/Title Myth
You think you need to have a position or title in order to be a leader. This isn’t true. Leadership is about influence. You can lead without a position/title.
2. The Manager/Entrepreneur Myth
We think that management and entrepreneurship is the same as leadership. Management deals with processes and systems, leadership deals with people. Also owning a business doesn’t make you a leader but being a business owner definitely requires leadership skills.
3. The Age/Gender Myth
Some people think they’re too old or too young to lead. Leadership doesn’t have an age. We often think that males are the only one who make great leaders. There are and has been successful women in leadership.
4. The Followers Myth
We think that you can’t be a leader unless you have a lot of followers. Leadership isn’t about the amount of followers you have but about the people you impact and pour into. It’s about quality not quantity.
5. The “Vert” Myth
We think that extroverts make better leaders than introverts and that’s not true. They each contribute unique and needed things to leadership. I’ll go more into depth into this one day.
6. The Dictator Myth
Many people think that leadership and dictatorship are the same. Dictatorship is about controlling and manipulating people to do what you want. Leadership is about empowering your people to work together to reach a common goal.
7. The Loner Myth
Many people think they can lead alone. That’s not true. You need a team. It takes a team to see a vision fulfilled. You can’t achieve success alone.
8. The Easy Myth
A lot of people think that when you become a leader that you do less work while you make others do your work. That’s not true- the higher you go in leadership the more work is required of you. More sacrifice is expected. You come early and leave late.
9. The Knowledge Myth
A lot of people think that leaders have to have all the answers and know everything. That’s not true- leaders oftentimes battle with uncertainty. We’re trusting God to lead us as we lead His people. We don’t know everything.
10. The Birth Myth
Many think that leaders are born and not made. They think “either you got it or you don’t.” That’s far from the truth. You were born to lead but you must become a leader. It’s a process.
Don’t believe these myths about leadership. God created you to lead! You’re a leader because God said so. Thinking differently is what makes you a leader — you don’t need all of the extra stuff. All you need is a willing heart to develop your leadership skills so you unlock the hidden potential inside of you. You’re a leader so don’t fall for THE MYTHS OF LEADERSHIP.
