Not everyone can become a great leader… - Matt Schellhas

This resource first appeared in issue #108 on 05 Feb 2022 and has tags Becoming A Manager: Other

Not everyone can become a great leader… - Matt Schellhas

This is a good first-person account of how pernicious the whole “great leaders are born not made” nonsense is. Schellhas talks about being held back from becoming a manager for years because he didn’t look or seem the part. He did, in the end, become a (successful) manager and leader, and recognizes how at least he got the chance eventually, many never do.

On top of discouraging people who don’t look and act like they came out of central casting for managers from gaining more responsibility and power, this really toxic “good managers have certain personality traits” belief also discourages people from learning how to be better managers, better leaders. How can you learn to be better at something that is innate, right?

Schellhas’ article is worth keeping in your back pocket to send to people. We have to stomp out the nonsense “manager == personality type” idea. Being a good manager and leader is no different than any other profession - you have to develop certain skills and behaviours, and continue your professional development over the years to refine your own abilities and grow them in others.