Requiem for the Heroic Manager
Ideas about effective leadership are changing.
In the past, the heroic archetype was the most popular image of corporate leadership. According to this image, a good manager was a rugged, decisive individual, capable of single-handedly driving a business to success and glory. But as Dave Zielinski points out in his article "Requiem for the Heroic Manager," the heroic archetype of leadership is on its deathbed. In its place, leadership research conducted in the past 20 years paints a very different picture.
According to recent scholarship, good leaders:
- Focus on the success of the organization rather than their own personal success.
- Enable success in others and share the glory of success with the group.
- Acknowledge personal weaknesses as well as strengths.
- Celebrate the accomplishments of employees and make them feel like heroes.
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