You've heard it all before, “the man, the myth, the legend!” Now what?

Let's stick with the myths for a second.

Unfortunately for some leaders “14th-century thought leadership” still fuels the driving force of how and why things get done in organizations. And because of this, varying myths still permeate the high tech industry. Here are 7 of them that you should never be believed regardless of whose mouth it comes from or where you read them.

Here we go!

1. Leaders are only at the top of the organization.

Unfortunately, this is true in some organizations, but definitely should not be the norm. I've seen this in some of my past consulting engagement with clients. Leaders should be permeated throughout the entire organization given the varying skills of individuals in the workplace. In fact, if you really want an organization to thrive and become “Great”, encourage leadership skills training and development throughout the entire organization. This can be done much simpler than it sounds if the right environment, a Continuous Learning Environment (CLE), is set up correctly. All too often executives limit the growth of their organization by not teaching leadership development across the ENTIRE organization.

2. Great leaders are born and not made

True some leaders have a seemingly better notion of what it take to be a leader, but to say that someone is a natural born leader, well, I would not go that far. Let it be known that leadership is a learned skill, and anyone can learn how to lead and manage people with the correct training.

Unfortunately, there are cases where the title or position has been granted before the leadership skills have been developed in the person. Too often organizations place very successful people in leadership roles without being prepared. Just because one is good at his job does not mean he should be placed in a leadership position without the proper assessment.

3. Leaders are charismatic.

One notion here, SOME leaders are charismatic! However, I have not met a “Great Leader” who was not charismatic. A leader must understand that charisma holds a high value to their followers. In fact, the really “smooth” leaders use his, or her, charisma to their advantage, as well as, for the advantage of the team; accomplishing great feats inside and outside their organization.

4. Leadership is a rare skill that only if you are given.

The only thing given in leadership is the position. The power and authority has to be given, or delegated, from someone of a higher authority.

As far as a person becoming a skilled leader, that only comes with practice and maturity as he gains more wisdom, knowledge, and insight in the ways of leading and directing people. Experience is a “Great” teacher!

5. Good leaders are more educated.

Wrong! I know some leaders, although highly educated, whose common sense and notion to use this innate ability is shut off by book knowledge and the alphabet soup at the end of their name. Don’t get it wrong, I do not knock education at all! In fact, I went to college and I continue to increase my knowledge by buying and reading books and courses, attending seminars and conferences, coaching programs, etc. But, being educated more than someone else does not automatically qualify anyone for a leadership position. Although, there are many companies that make this grave mistake. Too often, what’s seen is that if a person is good at their job position, they're often being promoted to a leadership position with out proper training in leadership skills development.

6. Women don't make good leaders.

One quick personal note! I was raised in a single parent home with my mom and two sisters. My mom was the leader trust me! There were no misunderstandings about it.

In the professional arena as well, we have to look at women leaders like Oprah Winfrey, Condoleezza Rice, Hillary Clinton, and several others we can name and come into reality about women leaders. These women have shown great leadership ability in our society, and I can guarantee you that these women will not be the last. Truth be told, I have four girls and believe me, they too will also be “Great Women Leaders”.

7. Leadership is a soft skill and is therefore not measurable.

I dispel this myth in its own article. Trust me, it needed to be addressed separately! To read the full article go to: www.GranisonShines.com/Articles.html or you can Google – ‘Granison Shines’ and find it out there in cyberspace.

In conclusion, remember these 7 myths are exactly what we’ve said they are “Myths”. Don’t let anyone else tell you different.

To find out more about Granison Shines and how to become a “Great Leader” go to: www.GranisonShines.com .