Theories of leadership abound, but there are also a number of assumptions made about leaders which on closer inspection turn out to be false.

1. We often think that leadership is rare, but in fact it is quite common. Leadership does not only happen in high-profile business environments, but in all sorts of contexts, such as within families and in social and charitable organisations outside work.

2. Leaders are not necessarily the people at the top of the organisation. Different kinds of leaders, both official and unofficial, may exist at all levels.

3. Similarly it may only be seen to be necessary to train the top people in leadership, when in fact this needs to happen at team, operational and strategic levels too. Succession planning demands that tomorrows leaders are identified and developed from the present day.

4. We tend to assume that leadership is highly visible, a high-profile role in the limelight. In current business terms, that does not always create a high-performing culture. A quieter kind of leadership relies on actions, not words, and giving credit rather than taking it.

5. The leader is often seen as autocratic and extroverted, as commanding and controlling. To be successful, a leader may need to be an enabler who can create the right environment for others to flourish.

I have heard it said that leadership today is a contact sport it requires accessibility and a genuine concern for the well-being of the whole team. Those who can involve others and foster an inclusiveness within the team will gain the most commitment.

You may like to have a think about some individuals you know who may not be conventionally perceived as leaders, but have strong influence. What qualities do they exhibit which makes people follow them?

Andy Britnell

Andy Britnell has worked as a professional musician, a cheesemonger and in hotels, including Claridges and the Savoy in London. He spent 15 years with BT, latterly designing and delivering international management, sales and graduate development programmes. He now lives in Cornwall, UK, where as well as enjoying the surf and the coastal footpath, he runs a training and coaching practice specialising in sales, customer service and personal development training for the private and public sectors. He is an accredited coach and trainer of the Insights Discovery System which is a model based on the pioneering personality profiling work of Carl Jung. Using colour as a common language for better understanding of self and others, it helps people operate and communicate more effectively. Andy gains great satisfaction from helping his clients to grow and learn, and from the rapid progress they make in their business and personal lives. He works constantly on his own development and practises Ki Aikido, the ancient Japanese art of working with energy.