Despite years of leadership development efforts, the myth of the all-knowing, heroic leader remains deeply embedded in many organisations. Research by Schweiger, Müller, and Güttel (2020) offers critical insights into why it’s so difficult to shift towards more inclusive, collective forms of leadership – and what we must do differently.
The study followed Executive MBA participants over two years. Despite being introduced to progressive, process-based leadership theories – where leadership is seen as a shared, dynamic social process – most participants reverted back to a traditional, leader-centred mindset. Why? Two core barriers stood in the way:
- The “Leadership Analysis” Barrier – Even when individuals grasp the concept of distributed leadership, they often fail to apply it to their real-world work situations. Instead, they interpret problems through an ego-centred lens, blaming others or focusing solely on their own actions without considering collective dynamics.
- The “Leader Impact” Barrier – Some participants do succeed in seeing leadership as a shared process, but then struggle to translate that into inclusive actions. They revert to trying to control outcomes alone, reinforcing the very model they sought to escape.
At the heart of these challenges is what the authors call the “sense of self-as-a-leader.” Many people are unconsciously invested in the identity of the heroic leader – striving for control, fearing ambiguity, and measuring success through individual impact.
💡 Organisational Recommendations:
- Shift from ‘hero’ to ‘host’: Encourage leaders to create space for dialogue, dissent, and co-creation, rather than solutions delivered from the top.
- Challenge identity, not just skill: Effective development must go beyond new tools – it must help leaders reflect on their assumptions about power, control, and success.
- Embed leadership learning in context: Training should be integrated into real work settings, enabling leaders to practice new mindsets in complex environments.
- Design diverse learning groups: Homogeneous leadership cohorts may reinforce the heroic ideal. Diverse teams challenge assumptions and surface a wider range of perspectives.
🌱 Inclusive Leadership Implication:
This research has a direct link to inclusive leadership. At its core, inclusive leadership demands a processual mindset – one that centres on shared power, ongoing dialogue, and navigating complexity together. Abandoning the heroic ideal is essential if leaders are to genuinely include others in meaning-making, decision-making, and accountability.
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