Leadership stereotypes abound.

Ten-foot tall and bulletproof. Until you arrive there, you can’t lead.

Stereotypes vary depending on the industry. Wall Street has its wolves. The C-suite has its high-energy, type-A, overachievers. They’re generally middle-aged, white men — although that is slowly changing.

In my younger years, I spent a lot of time pastoring a church in a small denomination with a fairly hierarchical leadership structure. When I started, the leadership avatar was clean-shaven old dudes in suits. Somewhere along the way the avatar changed and became bearded young guys in flannel. Several years ago I visited a leadership meeting at a large, nationally-recognized church in the Carolinas and was the only guy there not wearing an untucked flannel shirt. This is the case for most people my age. We’re too old for millennial coolness and still too inexperienced for boomers. Leadership stereotypes live on.

Sometimes we don’t know the way.

There is a moment when the leaders of the free world are stuck. No one can decide who should bear the burden of taking the ring to Mordor. In the middle of all the fuss, the smallest, the weakest, and the opposite of the avatar raises their hand and volunteers with a confession:

“But I don’t know the way.”

Leadership doesn’t have to know everything.

We don’t know what we don’t know. Omniscience is no more a prerequisite for leadership than a flannel shirt. But most of us are hesitant to step into the leadership gauntlet for fear of appearing ignorant. No one wants to be an ignorant leader. But the only thing worse is an ignorant leader who acts as if he’s the smartest person in the room. We see this a lot these days. A good leader is rarely the smartest person in the room. Effective leaders are on the steepest learning curve. Continuing education is a part of life.

Leadership doesn’t have to do everything.

Some leaders dabble. For those who have joined the team because of their professional expertise, dabbling leaders can be annoying. They can also be detrimental. Let people work in their strengths. Allow them to flourish in their expertise. They can do it better than you — and that’s a good thing. Good leadership is self-aware of limitations and knows how to get the best help.

Leadership doesn’t have to be everything.

American heroes fly solo. We’re lone-rangers. Batman swooping in to save the city in the dead of night and brooding in our cave during the day. Effective leadership is more like Frodo and less like Batman because effective leadership is self-aware. You are free from the expectations of being all things to all people. Effective leadership will let others be who they are and bring their beauty, grace, and strength to the team. Effective leadership empowers others and isn’t threatened when surpassed.

Punt the stereotypes.
Don’t feel you have to know, do, or be everything.
Always learn.
Always serve.
Always grow.
That’s what a leader does.