Myth: Only the boss can lead.
While final decisions on projects, strategies, and tactics often come down from someone in a decision-making position, there are plenty of opportunities for employees at every level of the hierarchy to lead. Whether it’s setting an example through consistent hard work and dedication or stepping up to the plate when the team needs them the most, your employees likely reveal their leadership potential every day. As their leader, it’s important to recognize those qualities and offer encouragement and mentorship to help them develop the skills and expertise to keep their careers moving forward – and upward.

Myth: Leaders don’t need training and development any more.
You’ve made it. You’re a leader now. All the years of hard work, training, and development has paid off and now you can just coast through the rest of your career on top… well, not exactly. The same dedication that got you to your new leadership position is going to be just as important if you want to stay there. From reading business books to attending seminars and conferences to consulting with a personal mentor, great leaders constantly seek out the next learning opportunity that will help ensure they stay ahead of the pack. And in today’s ever-changing technological environment, it’s more important than ever to stay on top of your game. When the pace of business moves at breakneck speeds, it’s easy to fall behind.

Myth: You can’t make a mistake.
Winston Churchill said, “All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes.” And if a man who’s widely regarded as one of history’s greatest leaders can make a misstep from time to time, so can you. In fact, the real distinction between average and extraordinary leaders often emerges in the wake of a big mistake. Don’t pass the blame onto others. Own your mistakes and set an example of how to bounce back quickly and strategically. Taking responsibility for your blunders only makes you human in your employees eyes and you likely earn more respect when you follow up with a plan to address the situation and get back on the right track.

Myth: Management and leadership are the same thing.
Just as you can be a leader without being a manager, like in the example above, you can also be a manager without being a great leader. Being promoted into a management position doesn’t automatically mean you know how to lead. One of the biggest follies that affect new managers is being promoted too soon. You can have the work ethic, knowledge base, and unique insight required to do the job, but if you can’t communicate with and relate to those you lead, it will be difficult to earn their trust and respect. Teambuilding is an important part of leadership. A team divided among itself or one that just can’t seem to get on the same page faces an uphill battle for success.

What are some other leadership myths you’ve encountered during your career? Let us know in the comments section below.

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A centipede was happy – quite!
Until a toad in fun
Said, “Pray, which leg moves after which?”
This raised her doubts to such a pitch,
She fell exhausted in the ditch
Not knowing how to run.

Do you suffer from analysis paralysis?
Analysis paralysis occurs when we over-analyze a situation to the point where a logical decision can’t be made, eventually causing everything to fall apart. And, it’s a phenomenon that is common in the workplace. Whether it’s a leader who can’t decide on a strategic direction for the company or a team of individuals who have reached an impasse on which direction to take an important project – analysis paralysis can have dire consequences on productivity and success.

A key to breaking through analysis paralysis is to stop thinking so much about “what if” and simply take a step in a direction – any direction. Even if you make the wrong decision, you’ll be able to learn from your mistakes and make adjustment to realign your strategies and stay on track.

How do you break through analysis paralysis? Let us know in the comments section below.

We should always seek to serve others by solving their problems; however, there is one trait and label even more powerful than that of problem solver which is problem avoider. We’ve all seen the action movies where our hero saves someone who is hanging from the edge of a cliff. While this makes great drama in theatre, wouldn’t it have been preferable if our hero had just helped the individual stay away from the cliff in the first place?

I did some consulting several years ago for a major sales corporation. In this particular organization, people became heroes for problem solving. This was important because this particular corporation was always in some sort of problem. Their corporate lore included legendary tales of people working all night to get the shipment out, complete the document, finish the monthly publication, and any other last-minute heroics you might imagine.

My brief unscientific, unofficial review of the situation told me that about 80 percent of the problems that were dramatically solved by someone on the corporate team could have been avoided in the first place. While it may not be exciting or thrilling to avoid a problem as opposed to solving it, it is certainly more productive and profitable.

Organizations that pay expedited production fees, overnight shipping costs, and require their people to work all night rarely survive long-term.

Life will bring us many unavoidable problems and emergencies that will require heroics, but you will be much better prepared to handle these problems if you haven’t wasted your time, money, and effort overcoming disasters that should never have happened in the first place.

If you don’t have your computer backed up, it’s only a matter of time until you will be called upon to try to replicate months or years of your labor. If you don’t have inventory in reserve, adequate insurance coverage, and an emergency fund in the bank, sooner or later you will wish you did.

The best way to be saved from falling off the cliff is to stay miles away from it in the first place. Save your heroics for a good evening at the movies or a great action novel, and keep your professional life calm, cool, collected, and far away from the cliff.

As you go through your day today, solve problems when you must, but avoid them altogether when you can.

Today’s the day!

Jim Stovall is the president of Narrative Television Network as well as a published author of many books including The Ultimate Gift. He is also a columnist and motivational speaker. He may be reached at 5840 South Memorial Drive, Suite 312, Tulsa, OK 74145-9082; by e-mail at Jim@JimStovall.com; or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jimstovallauthor.

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17 Ways to Be Happier at Work

How do you stay happy at work? What have you found to be the key to an engaging and fulfilling work life? Let us know in the comments section below.

• Attend roundtable discussions with various leadership groups
• Obtain higher education, like graduate and MBA programs
• Continue to develop interpersonal skills
• Job shadow other experienced leaders
• And, according to one reader – take regular naps

Less than 1% of survey participants said they don’t do anything to ensure they are constantly developing as a leader.

The fairly even spread of the results highlights a key factor in leadership development – there really isn’t one technique that will work for all leaders across the board. Leadership development not only looks different from company to company, but also from leader to leader. What works for one individual may not be the most effective method for another. So, though it may take some trial and error, it’s important to discover what works best for you.

In what ways has leadership development made an impact on your career? Let us know in the comments section below.

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3 Biggest Excuses of Wanna-Be Leaders

What are some of the biggest excuses you’ve heard from “wanna-be” leaders? Let us know in the comments section below.

“Never mistake motion for action.” – Ernest Hemingway

By misunderstanding what action is and replacing it with meaningless motion, you end up working more hours to accomplish the same amount of work, which hinders productivity. If our society doesn’t change tracks, we’ll soon be staying busy to create an illusion of being productive. Instead, be deliberate with your time and energy. The best way to convert meaningless motion into deliberate action is to plan out initial steps. When thoughts are organized and goals are set, productivity becomes much more of a reality.

What are some ways you’ve converted motion into action? Let us know in the comments section below.

According to a recent survey by the American Psychological Association (APA), one in three workers suffer from chronic stress, with high workloads being a major factor. The APA also found that 39% of people work more than 40 hours a week. With incoming emails and calls, employees end up working outside of the office, which can actually lower productivity and quality of work. As a business leader, you can’t afford to be less productive – and you definitely can’t afford to have a burnt-out workforce.

So how do we get back to normal work hours and take back precious revitalization time with friends and family? Here are four ways to get a good start.

Go Off-Grid

The reason why technology is the biggest factor causing workers to put in up to 50 or even 60 hours a week is obvious: you’re never more than a phone call away. You could even say, you’re no more than a text, email, Facetime, Skype, or tweet away. Even though it may seem like things won’t get accomplished if you aren’t always available, your availability is actually hindering your quality of work. By constantly being notified of problems, it’s hard to distance yourself to find solutions. So, send an email to the office or add an out-of-office voicemail message explaining that you are away and will be available between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.  Then, turn off your work phone and go off-grid.

Communicate Clearly

One reason why people end up working overtime is that they don’t want to say no. A new project is presented by upper management, so you want to be the hero and get it done even though your workload is overflowing. But, this is not the best way to go about taking on projects or delegating them. The saying is true, it’s better to work smarter than harder. Be clear about your time and what you can reasonably accomplish before taking on new tasks. The more tasks you take on, the lower the quality of production. This goes for your employees too. Encourage them to say no when they can’t possibly take on new tasks.

Leave Work at Work

Sometimes the hardest thing to do is leave work at work. We all spend most of our time at the office, and it’s hard to turn off the switch when we leave. But if you bring projects home to work on during off hours, you aren’t giving yourself time needed to rejuvenate. Make a point to use your nights and weekends to take a break from your workload and allow yourself to check out mentally from the stress that may loom for the next day. It can wait until tomorrow.

Organize Your Spinning Plates

Though it is used often, the carnival attraction where a person spins several plates in the air is a great representation of most people’s lives. Some plates can be removed, but in several instances, every plate needs to keep spinning or they all crash to the floor. One reason why people put in extra hours to complete a deadline is because they didn’t plan out their time accordingly to accomplish the goal. Make sure your office is aware of everything that’s going on, so your employees respect one another’s time. Create a projects list including deadlines and responsible parties so everyone can plan how to keep those plates spinning – within normal work hours.

What ways have you successfully taken back your 40-hour week? Let us know in the comments section below.