Anyone in the corporate world would agree that leadership skills training is among the most popular topics discussed in books and seminars.

And people love to listen and be inspired by these talks. We look up to people in leadership and imagine ourselves to be leaders someday, so we sit in seminars, listen to speakers, and take notes about it.

Unfortunately, most of what we hear is textbook techniques that often fail to deal with real human issues in the workplace. Tips are often vague and only provide general points that don’t tackle head-on real human issues that cause tension, conflict and kill employee productivity.

Leadership strategies are becoming less and less centered on specific scenarios that happen in the workplace.

While leadership skills training seminars remain mostly useful to the corporate world, it would be good to be mindful of several leadership myths that plague the workforce.

Myth 1: Leaders take control.

This is how leaders are commonly viewed—they are in total control of everything, even over your employment in the company. This couldn’t be further from the truth. You should know better, true leaders use positive influence and little power to achieve their goals.

Leadership must never be based upon fear or threat of power; otherwise, leaders will only create puppets and not loyal, hardworking employees.

Myth 2: Leaders are entitled to bark orders at people at every turn.

Rarely will you see a person able to function efficiently under a boss who dictates his every step. For someone to shine and maximize his potentials and individuality, leaders must allow him to work independently and even make mistakes along the way. Leadership skills are not gained by barking orders! Give employees a clear goal to achieve and a few guidelines to help instead.

Allow them to explore and make decisions.

Myth 3: Leaders are born and not made.

Anyone can be a leader if you work hard enough that is. This is not something special people are born with, but something that is developed over practice and experience. Sure, there are people naturally smarter, better at speaking, or more sociable but this does not make them a better leader than you.

Leadership skills may be learned and acquired; it only takes real passion and commitment to lead.

Myth 4: True leaders have followers.

While this is true, you need to understand that great leaders unleash the leadership skills in others enabling them to lead, too. As a leader you don’t just stop with leading a group of people and tell them what to do, instead, you are slowly creating other leaders and empowering them to begin change and make an impact in their own power of influence.

Don’t hang on to your “power,” try to empower others to lead and even take your place in time. You can be a leader, given proper training and experience.