Apartment Trends Magazine Nov / Dec 2017 | Page 30

RISING leadership
Three Leadership Myths Could Be
Limiting Your Success
something great. When you serve as the catalyst
for idea generation, you’re a leader. When you’re
THE idea generator, you’re not. Inspiring groups
of people to naturally place more value in finding
the best solution than promoting their personal
agenda is what makes you a leader.
Myth #3:
You must be successful to lead.
By Mark Montini
Leadership is arguably the most valuable
asset an organization can possess but yet, for
some reason, it almost always seems to be in short
supply. Countless organizations, both for-profit
and non-profit, fall frustratingly short of
achieving their full potential due to a lack of
leadership.
The men and women at the top of the org
chart lament how they wish those lower on the
org chart would step up and take leadership roles.
The men and women lower on the org chart,
though, seem to always lament that those on top
of the org chart aren’t leading. It’s an interesting
organizational dynamic driven by three leadership
myths that likely limiting your success.
Myth #1:
You must be in a leadership
position to lead.
Many people mistakenly believe holding a
so-called “leadership position” is a pre-requisite to
leading. A so-called “leadership position” means
you’re a boss or a manger, but it doesn’t necessarily
mean you’re a leader.
28 | TRENDS • NOV/DEC 2017
Leadership is based on your ability to
influence the actions of those around you. The
actual position you hold is irrelevant. If you can
influence those around you to passionately row in
the same direction, you’re a leader. If you can’t,
you’re not. Simply having people report to you or
execute on your directives doesn’t make you a
leader. Inspiring people so that they organically
align in the passionate pursuit of something
greater than they could accomplish on their own
is what makes you a leader.
Myth #2:
You must have knowledge and
experience to lead.
Many people mistakenly believe that a certain
level of knowledge or experience is a pre-requisite
to leading. Having knowledge and experience
means you have functional expertise, but it doesn’t
necessarily mean you’re a leader.
Leadership is based on your ability to
facilitate the open and fearless sharing of ideas in
order to identify to best possible solutions. Not
even the most knowledgeable and experienced
person can out-think the collective wisdom of a
group that’s aligned in the passionate pursuit of
Many people mistakenly believe that a track
record of success is a pre-requisite to leading. A
list of past achievements means you’re effective,
but it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re a leader.
Leadership is based on your ability to inspire
others to achieve great things without your
involvement. There’s simply not enough time in
the day for a single person to do everything
required to achieve truly significant things. When
your team begins to achieve meaningful
outcomes that you weren’t even aware they were
pursuing, you’re a leader. When your involvement
is required to achieve meaningful results, you’re
not. Inspiring teams to intrinsically and
constantly seek innovative solutions in pursuit of
something significant is what makes you a leader.
These three myths speak to every level of an
organization. Those at the top of the org chart
who desire to see more leadership below need to
be sure these myths aren’t driving them create the
leadership vacuum themselves. Those lower on
the org chart who believe there’s a lack of
leadership above need to be sure these myths
aren’t preventing them from simply filling the
leadership vacuum themselves. When every level
of an organization is properly aligned around
leadership, success flourishes.
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