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Leadership has become something of a catchphrase in the management
world. It is not very difficult to
overuse it and abuse it, which in the long run renders the term quite
impractical. The popularity of leadership
training and leadership publications has led to the emergence of several myths
about what it means to be a great leader. Unfortunately, there are institutions that live off reiterating and
fortifying these erroneous notions about the field rather than helping
executives and top managers benefit professionally and personally from
developing their leadership skills. Great leadership training programs need to steer clear of wrong-headed
understanding of being an effective leader. Here is a brief look at the myths
executives need to careful with.
There is a lingering notion that leadership is a quality you are born
with. According to some, it belongs to a
group of features, like intelligence, that are innate and there is little you
can do to change it. The reality is much
more complicated and, while it is true that some people exhibit greater
willingness to become leaders, the quality of leadership is largely determined
by experience, dedication, expertise and other traits that are received. Leadership
training programs need to be arranged around this positive concept of
developing qualities of a leader in everyone who wants to become one.
Another myth is that leadership is about exerting power and control over
outcomes, while great leaders do not have to resort to coercion. Instead, they are oriented towards
establishing constructive and inspirational relationships that, in turn, lead
to meeting or exceeding objectives. It
is closely connected with the role of creating the right conditions for organizations
to thrive, which has much less to do with controlling people and more with
stimulating and motivating them to walk the extra mile.
It is also believed in some circles that not all groups, teams or
organizations require a leader. Research and observation show, however, that
performance, creativity, cohesion and other indicators of success climb
dramatically when there is a clear and effective leader to show direction. Of course, not every leader is a guarantee of
positive influence and there are ample examples of self-serving or wrong-headed
leaders, both in politics and business. Professional leadership training programs are a great method of making
sure your organization is headed by a specialist with good intentions and the
right skills set.
Business Educators is a premier network of US-based business
professors. Browse its resources and
solutions, including leadership training programs, to find the ideal executive
education package for your company.
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