Leadership Myth 1: Leaders are born

Now I don’t know about you but I have yet to hear about a newborn that was blessed with the leadership gene.  Sure certain qualities help when it comes to leadership but these are developed rather than being acquired at birth.

Leadership Myth 2: You need to be mean

You might have a perception that being a success in a leadership relies on you being the tough guy or gal.  Yes you need to be resilient and be able to stand your ground from time to time.  You might even need to quite tough at times.  However, being mean is a sure-fire way to leadership failure rather than success.

Leadership Myth 3: Success is all about having the opportunity

While having a great academic record might give you a head start, don’t fall into the trap that if you didn’t have the opportunity to go to college or university you cannot get into leadership.  For example, I left school at 16 with minimal qualifications.  I started going to college while working and was able to climb the career ladder from Accounts Clerk to Finance Director.

Leadership Myth 4: You can take your foot off the gas

Moving into leadership for the first time is the biggest career step you will take.  If you think that when you reach this level you have made it and can take your foot off the gas, you are in for a shock.  Truth is when you move into leadership you need to invest even more in your continuing development as you are having to deal with many new and different challenges.

Leadership Myth 5: You need to keep collecting qualifications

Research suggests that your level of intelligence (IQ) will take you so far in your career but it is your interpersonal and social skills (EQ) that really determines your success.  If you are considering taking additional qualifications, ask yourself what difference they will make.  It may be that investing in developing you skills and qualities through coaching or short courses will provide better results.

Bottom Line – Moving into leadership is a major step.  So what myths are you buying into that are getting in the way of achieving leadership success?

While some people might have some attributes that can help them to more easily make the transition to leadership, truth is leadership skills can be developed.

There are a number of ways of doing this:

1. Going on a course
2. Getting a coach or mentor
3. Shadowing a senior person
4. Reading books
5. Reading e-zines
6. Listening to podcasts
7. Taking a formal qualification

Top Tip: Don’t buy into the myth that leaders are born

Self Motivation

Self motivation is key as a leader, so how might you do it:

1. Set yourself personal goals for each day
2. Stay in a positive frame of mind
3. Try to avoid long discussions with people who are negative
4. Get use to looking at different perspectives
5. Celebrate successes – you could even record these

Being self motivated is not about wandering about with a huge smile on your face but having the determination to keep pushing on even when times are tough.

Motivating Others

If you think that cracking the whip is the way to motivating then you are way off the mark.  Some of the simplest things are the most powerful:

1. Make time to interact with others
2. Listen to their concerns
3. Help them to explore different perspectives
4. Acknowledge a job done well
5. Say thank you!

A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself how you would like to be treated as this will often guide you in difficult times.

Tip 1:  Be clear on your goals

People often go into situations where they need to influence without having clarity about what they want to achieve.  In any influencing situation you need to be crystal clear on the outcome you want from the situation.  It might be more staff, a new piece of equipment or a supplier discount.  Whatever, the situation, be clear on what you want in terms of outcome.

Tip 2: Be informed

Have you ever been in a situation or observed a situation where it was clear that they had not done their homework in advance.  With information and resources being so freely available these days, there is really no excuse for going into an influencing situation unprepared.

Tip 3: Order your thoughts logically

If you have done your research in advance, chances are that you will have collected a lot of information.  Presenting this information in a logical and structured way will greatly improve your ability to influence positively.  Make a point of thinking about the most logical way to present your thoughts.  It is even better if you can do it with someone else.

Tip 4: Tailor points to the decision makers

You may well be the expert in your field or area but chances are that one or more of the decision makers will not be.  When you are trying to influence and get a positive response, make sure that you tailor your points to things that will be important to decision makers.

Tip 5:  Highlight the key benefits

The party you are trying to influence wants to know what is in it for me, the organisation and other stakeholders.  The easiest way of addressing this is to highlight the key benefits of your proposition.

Managers and leaders will frequently find themselves in positions where they need to influence.  So what’s your next step in becoming a more effective influencer?

Mistake 1: Survival rather than results focus

Your role as a leader is to get results.  Yet in my career I encountered a number of people who were more interested in survival than getting results.  When you are in this mode your focus is not on making things happen but in staying safe or protecting your status.

Mistake 2: Not taking responsibility

This can often happen in situations where there is a need for different organisations to work together to deliver results.  In these situations, it is often a case of pass the parcel, with people not taking responsibility for delivering on their part of the process.

Mistake 3: Focusing on the circumstances

Leading an organisation whether it is operating in the public or private sector is challenging.  Sometimes, especially when under pressure, it is tempting to focus on the circumstances rather than on the way forward.

Mistake 4: Trying to do it all themselves

No matter how good you are, there is only one of you and you only have strengths in certain areas.  Successful leaders know that it is teams rather than individuals that deliver high performance.

Mistake 5: Selective listening

Have you ever noticed how some leaders want to listen really well when you are sharing a success but seem disengaged when you are sharing a problem.  Good leaders listen in both situations and help and support you to achieve more.

I wonder what you would add to the list of mistakes.  I invite you to add a comment with your perspectives and experiences.

Benefit 1: Others follow 

Who would you be most likely to follow.  Someone who is upbeat and focuses on results or someone who focuses on circumstances?

Benefit 2: People deliver more

Have you noticed that you deliver more and go that extra step when you are working alongside someone who is enthusiastic?   I know I have.

Benefit 3: You become a role model

People who want to achieve success, look to people who they already view as successful leaders to learn from them.  Enthusiastic leaders become a role model and someone to learn from.

Benefit 4: You build a reputation

As someone who finds a way of achieving and inspiring others even when the going gets tough.

Benefit 5: You achieve personal success

If you are enthusiastic, authentic, inspirational to others and have a reputation for getting results, personal success will follow.

1. Providing the overall long term direction
2. Selecting the right strategies to achieve the overall long term direction
3. Making things happen without taking on all of the execution
4. Getting the right structure in place
5. Motivating and inspiring others
6. Develop people and in particular successors who will carry on the good work that they have done

I wonder what you would add to the list.  Leave a comment and let me know.

1. Taking responsibility for making things happen.
2. Acting with integrity even when times are tough.
3. Getting on with taking decisions.
4. Deal with facts.
5. Inspiring others to give that bit of extra effort by being a role model.
6. Optimistic or what I would call glass half full people.
7. Resilient and able to bounce back from setbacks.
8. Drive for excellence and continuous improvement.

What qualities have you noticed in successful leaders?