Unleashing the Leader in You: Understanding Leadership Myths

Anyone in the corporate world would agree that leadership skills training is among the most popular topics discussed in books and seminars.

And people love to listen and be inspired by these talks. We look up to people in leadership and imagine ourselves to be leaders someday, so we sit in seminars, listen to speakers, and take notes about it.

Unfortunately, most of what we hear is textbook techniques that often fail to deal with real human issues in the workplace. Tips are often vague and only provide general points that don’t tackle head-on real human issues that cause tension, conflict and kill employee productivity.

Leadership strategies are becoming less and less centered on specific scenarios that happen in the workplace.

While leadership skills training seminars remain mostly useful to the corporate world, it would be good to be mindful of several leadership myths that plague the workforce.

Myth 1: Leaders take control.

This is how leaders are commonly viewed—they are in total control of everything, even over your employment in the company. This couldn’t be further from the truth. You should know better, true leaders use positive influence and little power to achieve their goals.

Leadership must never be based upon fear or threat of power; otherwise, leaders will only create puppets and not loyal, hardworking employees.

Myth 2: Leaders are entitled to bark orders at people at every turn.

Rarely will you see a person able to function efficiently under a boss who dictates his every step. For someone to shine and maximize his potentials and individuality, leaders must allow him to work independently and even make mistakes along the way. Leadership skills are not gained by barking orders! Give employees a clear goal to achieve and a few guidelines to help instead.

Allow them to explore and make decisions.

Myth 3: Leaders are born and not made.

Anyone can be a leader if you work hard enough that is. This is not something special people are born with, but something that is developed over practice and experience. Sure, there are people naturally smarter, better at speaking, or more sociable but this does not make them a better leader than you.

Leadership skills may be learned and acquired; it only takes real passion and commitment to lead.

Myth 4: True leaders have followers.

While this is true, you need to understand that great leaders unleash the leadership skills in others enabling them to lead, too. As a leader you don’t just stop with leading a group of people and tell them what to do, instead, you are slowly creating other leaders and empowering them to begin change and make an impact in their own power of influence.

Don’t hang on to your “power,” try to empower others to lead and even take your place in time. You can be a leader, given proper training and experience.

Linda Finkle

Executives and top performers in leading companies rely on Executive Coach Linda Finkle to call them on their blind spots, expand their influence, and create bigger things for themselves and the companies they lead. High-achieving professionals from Ameriprise, Mass Mutual, Blue Cross Blue Shield, major law firms, and dozens of others have come to know Linda as their secret weapon to overcome leadership and communication challenges that stand in their way of making an even bigger impact.

Linda is described as ‘the best of both worlds in that she understands revenue pipeline management as well as running organization day-to-day’ and ‘an invaluable resource and advisor’ by others. No matter how they describe her, clients regularly welcome the benefits that come from their work together. Most notably, clients’ gross revenues skyrocketed, communication skills have been refined creating a lasting ripple effect across the organization, allowing them to make bigger impacts at work and in their personal lives, and learn smarter ways of adding value without burning out.

Known for her great rapport and relationship-focused demeanor, she is often called direct and has a truth-telling way about her. Linda Finkle has coached and trained more than 2,000 leaders in six countries since 2001. Widely known as “The Elephant Chaser”, Linda has a reputation for going straight for the throat of whatever problems a business is having and working closely with leaders and managers to resolve them and to heighten the company’s overall performance. Whether working one-on-one with clients, as an inspiring speaker, as a leadership team facilitator, or with partnerships in distress, Linda is committed to guiding clients to clarity about their communications, behaviors, and stumbling blocks that stand in the way of their effectiveness.

Before launching Incedo Group, LLC, Linda built and managed an executive recruiting firm for more than twenty years. Her recruitment agency identified talent for Fortune 500 companies and small to mid-sized businesses as well and ranked among the top 10 recruiting firms in the country. Her ability to understand the corporate culture and needs of the company for both the long and short term ensured her clients returned time and again. Even today, clients and candidates from her recruiting days reach out to her for advice, help, and guidance.