What I've Been Reading: The Mythical Leader
Each year it seems there are more leadership books written than there is time to read them. Part of me enjoys reading leadership books for the equipping component. The cynical part of me can tend to think many leadership books are too predictable. However, The Mythical Leader by Ron Edmondson was refreshing to me because he takes on many of the misconceptions about leadership. Each chapter deals with one of the seven myths and provides helpful application points and questions for each area.
Edmondson observes that the first myth of leadership is that your position makes you a leader. Those in positions of leadership get themselves into trouble sometimes because they assume people will follow the position. They are the chairman or the teacher or the boss and therefore everyone will follow their lead. He points to King Saul as an example of a positional leader, while King David demonstrated true leadership.
The second myth deals with the assumptions leaders can make about the status of an employee or an organization. Edmondson rightly observes that too many leaders lead in isolation. He urges leaders to combat this by asking good questions to stay informed and connected with the people in their organizations.
Edmondson’s third myth is that we can lead everyone the same way. He gives great pointers on how to lead different kinds of people. In the fourth chapter, Edmondson expounds on the difference between leadership and management, denying the myth that they are the same thing. Fifth, Edmondson deals with the misconception that leadership makes one popular. He emphasizes that leadership is filled with making hard decisions and finding solutions to difficult problems. This chapter will help leaders handle criticism and stop leading as a people-pleaser. One of the best insights in the chapter is when he observes a sobering reality about excellence in leadership: “The longer you do what you do well, the less praise you will receive for it.” (123).
Edmondson’s sixth and seventh myths are ones that are especially prevalent in large leadership environments. There is an assumption, first, that leaders must be charismatic and extroverted. He argues that leadership is about influence, not about personality or style. (147). Edmondson gives plenty of examples of how introverts can make great leaders. The final misconception is that leaders accomplish tasks by controlling others. Although this seems to make sense and many leaders operate this way, even many pastors, Edmondson argues that controlling leadership produces horrible results in the organization. He observes that leaders will leave, the followers will stay, and the whole organization stalls when we control others. He concludes the chapter with some practical steps to avoid being this kind of controlling leader.
If you don’t feel like you are a leader you might be tempted to think this book has no relevance for you. All of us are leaders in some capacity. You might only be leading yourself but that’s a start. You might be leading your family. That’s significant. The better equipped we are in this arena the greater difference we can make in the world. For anyone looking for a leadership book that is less predictable and more insightful, The Mythical Leader is a great place to begin.