Do you think anyone can be a leader?
A trend I see across leadership courses and books is the assumption that anyone can become a leader if they want to be one. I concede that everyone should at least be good enough to lead their own lives. However, leading other people is a skill that perhaps some people will never master.
For the next assignment in the Write of Passage course, we were asked to write an article that challenged conventional wisdom. So I decided to take on what I consider a flawed core assumption of many leadership courses. As I wrote:
“The core flawed assumption may best be expressed with a quote from John Maxwell:
“If you want to be a leader, the good news is that you can do it. Everyone has the potential, but it isn’t accomplished overnight. It requires perseverance.” John C. Maxwell
My two questions are these: Why do we assume that everyone can be a leader? Also, why are the psychological burdens of leadership rarely discussed?”
Read the rest of the article here, and feel free to share your thoughts on the topic in the comment section.
Efficient Librarian 
I definitely agree with this. I made the decision years ago that I was not cut out to be a Library Director, and after two interims, I happily stick by that (I am a department head).
I believe I am good at the details, and a good follower in the the Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way scale, but do not have the personality or big-picture vision to be the big cheese. And the world needs us, too, to see where the sticky issues might be, and help the leaders get where they’re going.
I have found the right balance for myself – enough challenge, great community support, but also the ability to leave it behind and take those great vacations and do volunteer work, etc.
LikeLike