The Misconception Trap: How Leadership is Learned

Two weeks ago, I started a three-part series to reveal the top three misconceptions about leadership.

Misconception 1: You need to have the right answers and solutions to every problem.

Misconception 2: Just imitate other successful leaders to succeed.

Today, let’s discuss the final leadership misconception that I have come across over the years.

Misconception 3

“Leadership should come naturally.”

This is one of the most damaging misconceptions, especially for leaders early in their careers.

Like a sport, leadership is a learned skill.

Just as athletes train their bodies to perform at a high level, leaders must train their minds, skills, and behaviours to function optimally.

Leadership requires ongoing education, practice, and self-reflection.

If you’re struggling with certain aspects of leadership, don’t see it as a sign that you are a “bad leader.” 

It simply means you are still learning, and that’s perfectly okay. 

In fact, there are five levels of leadership. 

When you get promoted to the next level, you must develop new skills and behaviours.

These levels are clearly articulated in the book The Leadership Pipeline by Ram Charan, James Noel and Stephen Drotter. 

In this book, the authors provide a roadmap guiding people through the stages of leadership.

For example, when someone moves from being an individual contributor to a team leader, their focus shifts from doing the work themselves to helping others to succeed. 

As they move up, they’ll need to think bigger and make decisions that impact the whole organization, not just their team.

Each move up the leadership pipeline requires significant learning and growth that most leaders don’t even consider.

But to quote Maya Angelou, “If you know better, you do better.” 

For some people, certain leadership skills do come naturally. 

However, even for these individuals, the leadership journey requires constant learning, growth, and education.

What are your current leadership gaps?

What learning or growth can you do to close those gaps?