“I can’t call it a “leadership success”, Jeanne: I did not manage to onboard this person.”

This is what a leader admitted to me this morning.
Although I understand this take on it, I still question it; is onboarding every person, every time, supposed to be a requirement for good leaders?

Leadership traits have been discussed in minute detail for years. The common list of indispensable soft-skills usually includes:

• Self-belief
• Ability to listen
• Ability to talk
• Empathy
• Connection
• Vision
• Assertiveness
• Self-awareness
• Accountability
• Truthfulness
• Reliability
• Attention to details
• Authenticity
• Drive

As you may have noticed, none of these qualities seem optional for a leaders.
But my point here is not to challenge what are or aren’t the most important qualities of leadership , and to argue about it.
What is more interesting here is to question what limiting beliefs we nurture around the leader myth.

Here are the 5 most frequent myths I’ve...

Leaders, should you always read the room?

Reading the room is part 1.
Acting upon your read is part 2.
Reconnecting to your intention is between parts 1 and 2.

The kickoff meeting is starting, each of us is invited to introduce ourselves to the team. The first one goes, then the second, and so on…I immediately understand that I have to decide quickly whether I stick to my plan and introduce myself my way (4 min exactly - only one story sharing who I am) or if I revert to the safer "well trodden" route (7-10 min, diluted, speaking about your resume, a couple of comments on how you felt... You get the picture!).  
Okay, decision made. I’ll probably look weird for the first 3 min, but luckily they’ll get it by the end of the 4^th one, and hopefully they will like it.

I’ve read the room, I’ve chosen not to change my way, remembering my intention there.
(We’ll come back to the “intention” thing later.)

It is...