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practice, and feedback. While an officer who

is naturally a 4 (on a scale of 1–10) may never

develop leadership skills that rate a 10, he or

she can, nonetheless, improve to a 7 or 8.

Myth #4:

The LoneWarrior

In his book,

Leadership Without Easy

Answers

Ronald Heifetz

asserts, “The myth

of leadership is the myth of the lone warrior:

the solitary individual whose heroism and

brilliance enable him to lead the way.”

This

myth has become so pervasive in certain law

enforcement organizations that officers often

shed their responsibilities and accountability

during times of crisis in the belief that the

leader will save the day. Leadership, rather

than being the solitary responsibility of a sin-

gle individual, is a collaborative activity. No

single person has all the answers, nor is any

single person solely responsible for the suc-

cesses or failures of a law enforcement agency.

Today’s law enforcement organizations are

composed of dozens; hundreds; and, in some

cases, thousands of employees. The idea of a

solitary genius overlooks the fact that lead-

ers and followers are engaged in a common

mission. Identifying problems, setting goals,

and performing the work necessary to achieve

those objectives requires leaders and followers

to work together, not in isolation.

Myth #5:

Leadership Requires

Charisma

The fifth myth is the notion that lead-

ership requires charisma. Despite the contin-

ued popularity of this myth, this is simply not

the case. While some leaders are charismatic

and extraverted, many others are not. In his

book, Good to Great, Jim Collins points out

that many of the most effective leaders in his

study were humble, self-effacing, and reason-

ably quiet.

This is because personality is not

equivalent to leadership. While charisma can

be a powerful motivating tool, it can also be

a liability when used to manipulate or to de-

ceive others. Charisma can also create hero

worship; effectively shielding the leader from

the harsh truths and hard decisions required

of his or her position. In many cases, suc-

cessful leaders are the very opposite of the

popular, flamboyant figures portrayed in

the media. Although their effects on follow-

ers are undeniable, effective leaders go about

their work thoughtfully and quietly. What

separates good leaders is not their personali-

ties, but their humility, sense of purpose, and

abilities to influence and to motivate others.

Myth #6:

Leaders Are Different Than

Followers

The sixth myth is the belief that leaders

should strive to differentiate themselves from

followers. While there is little doubt that cer-

tain people possess more natural leadership

abilities than others, good leaders focus more

on their similarities with followers than on

their differences. This is because officers nat-

urally follow leaders who best represent the

group’s identity and interests.

Anytime peo-

ple come together as a group, they typically

ask (a) What makes this group different? (b)

What do members have in common? and (c)

How do members compare to other groups?

Effective leaders act as the prototype for

other members by representing the group’s

values, norms, and goals. Followers are also

more likely to support a leader who champi-

ons the group’s cause, while encouraging the

development of individual members.

Thus,

rather than spending time trying to separate

themselves from followers, good leaders look

for ways to best represent the group’s identity,

interests, and goals.

Myth #7:

Lead From the Front

The seventh myth is the notion that

good leaders are aggressive, self-confident,

and action-oriented. They take the initiative,

establish the vision, control the agenda, make

the important decisions, and lead the charge.

If you are going to be a leader, according to

this view, you need to lead from the front.

While there are clearly times when a leader

must advance the charge, there are others

times when doing so can be counterproduc-

tive.

Anytime a law enforcement leader

leads from the front, it is virtually impossible

to direct or modify the actions of team mem-

bers bringing up the rear. Conversely, a leader

at the rear of the team is able to observe and

correct the actions of other members as the

demands and constraints of the situation

change. Moreover, a leader who continually

assumes the lead fails to develop other lead-

ers. In his book, Winning, Jack Welch, for-

mer CEO of General Electric, points out that

a leader’s primary job is to develop more lead-

ers, not more followers.

It is only by build-

ing strong teams, sharing responsibilities, and

empowering others that today’s law enforce-

ment leaders can develop the next generation

of leaders.

Myth #8:

The Pioneer

The eighth myth is the view that being

first makes someone a leader. Certainly, many

pioneers in their fields have also been effective

leaders. Being innovative, however, does not

necessarily translate to being a good leader.

This is because expertise or special skills in

one area does not automatically create leader-

ship ability. In other words, the knowledge,

Ten Leadership Myths Debunked

continued from page 17

attitudes, and skills required to be first are

not always the same capabilities required to

lead effectively. Leadership, by definition, is

the ability to influence, motivate, and inspire

others to achieve organizational objectives.

Thus, it is a person’s ability to influence oth-

ers to accomplish organizational objectives

and not their ability to innovate that makes

someone an effective law enforcement leader.

While being first can be good, it does not al-

ways translate to effective leadership.

Myth #9:

“I Can Lead Anyone”

The ninth myth is the belief that “I can

lead anyone.” This is the idea that a good

leader can lead virtually anyone person or

group in any situation, given the opportu-

nity. Although some leaders are effective at

leading diverse groups of followers under

a variety of circumstances, the idea that a

single law enforcement leader will be suc-

cessful in every instance is simply not true.

The best leaders have a clear understanding

of their limitations. They understand their

strengths, they understand their weaknesses,

and they understand when a job is best per-

formed by someone else. Good leaders also

recognize that every follower is unique, with

a distinct set of values, beliefs, and expecta-

tions.

Whereas some followers may be best

influenced by a particular leader or leader-

ship style, others are not. Any law enforce-

ment leader, regardless of his effectiveness in

a given setting, will not be successful in every

situation or with everyone. Some followers

may be unable to support the leader’s par-

ticular style, while others may be opposed to

the leader’s beliefs, goals, or values. Thus, part

of effective leadership is matching the right

leader to the unique characteristics and needs

of followers.

Myth #10:

Leadership Success Is

Achieving the Highest Position

Possible

The tenth, and final, myth is the sug-

gestion that the higher an officer is promoted

within a law enforcement organization, the

greater his or her leadership success. As pre-

viously discussed, titles have no leadership

value. While an officer’s appointment to a

leadership position is often the first step to be-

coming a person of influence, simply holding

a particular rank or position does not make

someone a leader.

Leadership requires the

ability to influence others. If a person cannot

influence others to follow willingly, regardless

of his title or position, he is not a leader. This

is because true leadership is different than

appointed leadership. Leadership is, at its