7 MYTHS OF LEADERSHIP
1) LEADERS HAVE HUGE EGO
Many people expect their leader to have a huge ego. It comes with the power. EGO is found as one of the major common characteristics of all Level 5 leaders. In fact, my observation is a negative correlation between high ego and great leadership. Christ, Buddha, M.K. Gandhi and Martin Luther King are the examples of egoless leadership.
A divine right given to someone who made it to the top of the heap based on motto, attitude, emotions or hard passion. Having a leader who was not full of ego would find absolute natural. He will influence people around him at very high level.
2) LEADERS ARE EXPERT IN POLITICKING
We are surrounded by politics at all times. Politics means absolute selfishness and wasting interest. You want to receive all credits and entitle for all fruits of the action. People in the organization are now conditional to think in same pattern. Martin Luther king and M.K. Gandhi have demonstrated exemplary leadership and never jumped into political affairs.
I think politics should to be redefined.
As per my opinion, politics means leader lead a team towards specific goal with the team and to accomplish mission, they took number of decisions. Politics is more or less a situational leadership. Great leaders have taken wrong decisions, which they had confirmed at the later stage of life. It won’t mean, it was a political move. World to come around more to their way of thinking. In today’s world, there is nothing wrong with doing this. It is a human nature. We are now trained to think negative.
3) LEADERS DO SMART OR HARD WORK
It is true that great leaders are always passionate about their work. Passionate about their work, does this mean that they work harder? Not necessarily. Poor leaders may be working just as hard or even harder but not getting the same results.
Exceptional leaders, while passionate about their work, are also passionate about squeezing every drop of experience out of living. Just as they have extreme dedication to their work, they also have a good sense of balance and make time to do other things.
Leader just happens to be at the right place at the right time. Business superstars not only outthink their competition - they outwork them. Few things are as mission accomplishment and winning is a habit.
4) LEADERS ARE VERY INTELLIGENT
The leader that one must be highly intelligent to lead effectively is a myth. There are numerous examples that identify highly effective leaders who were only average or lower in intelligence. Leaders have least concern with academics and found poor with university intelligence. Even, my feeling is Masters of Business Schools are found in very pathetic situation in the organization Finally, CEO of the organization is called back from the job profile. What happened to the intelligence?
According to the latest research, genius isn’t a natural trait - it’s a learned skill. The “genius research” has found that so-called “geniuses” invested the equivalent of 10 years singularly focused on their chosen sport/business/craft. Any one, who invests decades with dedication and determination in a particular field, will be a master. People need consistency and continuity in performance, as I have written in my new book “Mission accomplish” that leadership is a consistency performance not continuous in position.
With less than average intelligence, people are able to rack up a winning record before retiring that would make any leader proud. Sachin Tendulkar and many more are the legendary performers have very poor academic intelligence.
My philosophy for intelligence is connected with wisdom. Leaders have wisdom. With the help of wisdom, they took major decisions and those decisions make them wonderful leaders.
The complexity of day-to-day leadership decisions can always be boiled into these three behaviors, so the formula can deal with complexity even though it is simple. You do not need to be brilliant to be a good leader. Leadership need not be difficult or complex to be effective. This theme will be repeated numerous times in this book.
I, basically, take things as they are. Life is simple living and high thinking. In fact, people have made it complex living and confuse thinking. I am just impatient about my vision.
5) LEADERS NEVER COMMIT MISTAKES
Leaders are power centric. Absolute power won’t allow people to be normal and natural. Even they know they have made mistakes but to whom they confess. But, this quality is found at the super factious level of leadership. Great leaders have confessed their mistakes in the life.
Politics is more or less a situational leadership. Great leaders have taken wrong decisions, which they had confirmed at the later stage of life. It won’t mean, it was a political move. World to comes around such decisions at the later stage of life.
6) LEADERSHIP IS “ONE MAN SHOW”
It is a myth. Always a great team makes the difference. Ricky pointing, Australian captain, able to make move in the direction of winning and become a world champion under his able leadership but he have a powerful team. Team has members like Bill Christ, Mac growth and Shane Warne. Everyone is a part of champions’ team but not everyone can be a champion in the team. Team is the most powerful formula for success.
7) LEADERS ARE ENJOYING ABSOLUTE HAPPINESS
Physical and monetary achievements will not create happiness in life. Monetary achievements create comfort level in the life. Leaders comfort level is maintained but no assurance is provided to them for happiness. I had found number of business promoters under full stress and pressure in the Audi car and air-condition chamber.
Happiness is inside, you can’t find it outside. This basic rule applies to poor and rich in same substance. Richness cannot prove that you are a happy person otherwise king and rich person have committed suicide in life.