5 Leadership Myths that are total bunk!

When I was growing my business and added support staff, I didn’t have a clue about leadership. I was too caught up in the day-to-day selling in order to keep the business going to even stop and be intentional about my role as a leader.

As I started shifting my focus to learning about how to become a better leader, I uncovered 5 myths about leadership. 

Myth #1 – Leaders are born that way!

While some of us do have leadership abilities which we display as children they are typically linked to old-school thinking of what a leader is. Meaning that, we display behaviours of taking charge, being the loudest or being the biggest risk-taker. Becoming an effective leader takes time and discipline. For me, it was listening to podcasts, reading books and attending courses and workshops to learn how to effectively communicate with my team. What I discovered was it wasn’t at all about how loud or in charge you were but how to serve your people and have difficult conversations, give feedback and keep people accountable. The good news is that whether you believe you’re a poor leader or a fantastic one, it’s a skill that can be learned, refined and learning should be revisited.

Myth #2 – Leaders should have all of the answers

I remember feeling an immense amount of pressure on my shoulders thinking that I had to have all of the answers when a team member needed help or the company faced an issue. What a relief to discover that leaders can lean into resources like peer groups (I recommend TEC – The Executive Committee) or coaches and mentors for support. Better yet, have your team members stretch their courage muscles and do the research to find out the answers to their questions. Empower them to seek out the answers and come back and share their findings with you. 

Myth #3 – Leaders should never be seen as weak in any way

This was a big one for me! I thought that as a leader you had to be “ON” all of the time. The reality is that being a leader can be extremely stressful and feel lonely at times. There are days that you’re running on empty and you literally have nothing to give. It is 100% ok to be vulnerable with your team. Let them know that you’ve hit maximum capacity and that you’re going to need to lean in to them for support on a given day. People don’t expect you to be a superhero. You’re human and when you can admit that you need support it makes it ok for your team to communicate that with you when they’re experience the same challenge. 

Myth #4 – Leaders should be in the spotlight

While you’re the head of the organization, giving other team members an opportunity to shine will not only build their self-esteem but will also serve you in the future. When you want to transition out of your business it will be much easier if your clients and the public are used to hearing from many faces on your team vs. you and you alone. Start small and have your team members rotate leading a meeting or a ZOOM call. Resist the urge to take change or have the final word and be a participant as your talented team shines!

Myth #5 – Leaders are respected because of their title!

“Because I’m you’re mummy, that’s why!" This was probably one of my most hated expressions from childhood. Your team feels it too when they see your behaviours out of sync to what your expectations are of your team. You don’t gain trust and respect by telling your team what to do our because you’re their boss. You gain trust through deep conversations, producing results and exemplifying core values and the behaviours you expect from your team.

I’m curious what other myths you’ve faced as you’ve been working with your teams! Feel free to share below. We love hearing from you!