Leadership Myths and Mistakes
Common Misunderstandings About Leadership
Since our understanding of effective and ineffective leadership is a little unreliable, and firm and consistent findings about what makes leaders good or not are often lacking, it's not surprising that many people hold some misguided ideas about leadership -- myths, if you like. On this page you'll find discussion of these myths so you can examine them, reflect, and decide what you believe.
Be sure to read the very first article, below.
Myths About Leadership
Effective Leadership Requires [fill in the blank] - The Over-Riding Myth
Leaders are Born, Leaders are Made - Two Leadership Myths
Leaders Must Have Charisma?
Only A Small Number of People Can Be Effective Leaders
Leadership Requires Formal Power and Authority
You Need To Be Popular, or Well-Liked To Be An Effective Leader
Leaders Need To Be Outgoing and Extroverted
Common Pitfalls and Mistakes that Sabotage Leadership Effectiveness
When Leaders Go From Effective To Ineffective
One of the apparently mystical aspects of leadership is that it's often the case that successful leaders do not remain successful over time. However, understanding leadership helps us understand and avoid "leadership decay", where a leader who has been successful, even for years, starts to lose effectiveness.
How Does Ego Cause Leaders To Self-Destruct?
How Does Inability To Adapt Cause Leadership Decay?
Mismanaging Stress - How Does Burnout Degrade Leadership Performance?
How Does Excessive Task Focus Degrade Leadership?
Why is Treating Everyone The Same Problematic For Leaders?
What About Never Admitting You Are Wrong, if You Are A Leader?
What About Failing To Hold People Accountable?
The Invisible Leader? Leaders Going Bad
What is the "ivory tower" syndrome?
Most Common Leadership Mistakes
Blanchard Research Findings On Leadership Mistakes
Leadership Mistake - Confusing Commanding With Leading
Failure To Teach and Develop Others
Failure To Listen
Failure To Delegate
Refusal To Change (Lack of Adaptability)
Failure To Focus On The Future
Behaving Inconsistently
Hiding or Denying Mistakes Rather Than Learning From Them
