ABSTRACT
For centuries people have been fascinated by the topic of leadership, first in the realm of warfare and politics, and later in business and sports. In business, too, an early interest in leadership gave way to a period of focus on technical management skills, such as finance, operations, marketing and strategy. There are five common misconceptions about leadership that have contributed most to the muddled view so prevalent in practice and in theory. These include the leader as boss, the leader as hero, the leader as prophet, the leader as guru and the leader as idol. Leadership can be heroic, charismatic, visionary and transformational, but it is also the stuff of everyday interaction with direct reports, colleagues, bosses, clients, suppliers, family members and team mates. If there is one thing core to the nature of leadership, it is that leading is relational, involving two or more willful beings.
