Reasons to Take Leadership Advice from Experts with a Grain of Salt
There is no single definition of leadership. We learn about what it takes to be a leader along the way. We can also learn it from other people. There are leaders who have proven to be successful, and are willing to share their secrets with others. Top executives and political figures don’t hesitate to speak during conferences and webinars. Others even published books regarding leadership. They’re inspiring, and given their track record of success, you might want to be like them. If you’re already a manager or a leader, you might think about following their advice. There’s nothing wrong in doing it as long as you take the advice with a grain of salt.
Not all pieces of advice apply to you
Apart from not having a universal definition of leadership, even some pieces of advice aren’t universally applicable. Different factors may come into play. It includes the work environment, people you work with, and cultural differences. Certain values upheld by these leaders only apply to them, and might not work when used with your employees.
Everything comes with a risk
There are times when the pieces of advice that you get from these leaders seem life-changing. They could even alter your entire view of what a leader should be. However, these people became successful because they took a risk. Eventually, that risk paid off. It’s possible that when you take the same route, you won’t have the same results. The risk you took might not be worth it after all. Therefore, if you want to follow the advice, you have to be cautious. You should also be open to the possibility of failure.
Your interpretation might be different
Some leaders don’t explicitly advise others what to do. Instead, they provide situations and tell their stories. It’s up to the readers to determine what they got from the information. Since the advice is open for interpretation, it’s possible that you take it the wrong way. Instead of succeeding, you could fail.
They don’t give everything
These leaders seem too generous to offer advice, but the truth is that they’re making money out of it. When they publish a book, it’s worth millions of dollars. When offered a chance to speak in an event, they also get paid. Not all of them are genuine in offering advice. It’s also possible that they will hold back. It doesn’t mean that they are terrible people, but you have to understand that they are still in a competition. Whether they came from business or politics, they still need to play the game. If they give all their secrets away, it could be harmful to them. They will only share pieces of advice that might not hold too much value.
Again, there’s nothing wrong in following the advice of people who already proved their worth. You can also feel inspired to be like them. However, you need to be cautious with whatever you follow. You should also think about the people you work with and the kind of organization that you run.
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