Like practically every topic under the sun, the role of being a leader is littered with misconceptions, especially from those who have never been in a leadership position. This isn’t entirely surprising of course, as how can you be expected to truly understand something if you’ve never experienced it yourself? When people have so many misconceptions about something such as leadership, it may cause them to get into a leadership position only to quickly find out that it’s not what they thought it was. That’s where this blog comes in. Read on for a few common leadership misconceptions to be aware of.
Leaders Are Born
What may be the most common misconception about leadership is that people are born to lead. While it’s certainly true that for some leadership may come naturally, the fact of the matter is that anyone and everyone has the potential to be a successful leader. It’s usually just a matter of finding your passion. The problem with this misconception though is that it supports gatekeeping. When people believe that people are born to do something, they’re more likely to believe that they weren’t born to do that thing.
Being a Leader is Having a Title
There are many that believe that if you want to be a leader, you have to work towards higher and more prestigious titles within a company. They believe that being a leader means being given a position of power within a company. This isn’t totally true though, as leadership is often based on influence rather than the position a person holds. Leaders are people that others look up to, someone who provides others with courage and motivation. If you aren’t able to do these things when in a position of power, then you aren’t truly leading the people you manage.
Being a Leader Means Less Work
There are many who believe that when you get into a leadership position, you begin delegating and things become easy. There are those who will tell you that they want a position of power within their company because they’re looking to retire and want something with less stress. These people are in for a rude awakening if they ever get those leadership roles. While it’s true that many leaders are in charge of delegating to a degree, other factors such as strategy, attending meetings, planning for the future, and much more are required of leaders, giving this role the potential for plenty of stress and hard work.