There are plenty of misconceptions and myths that people embrace about leaders and leadership. Here are five common ones from the viewpoint of leadership expert, John Maxwell:
1. The Management Myth

A widespread understanding is that leading and managing are one and the same. Up until a few years ago, books that claimed to be on leadership were often really about management. The main difference between the two is that leadership is about influencing people to follow, while management focuses on maintaining systems and processes. As former Chrysler chairman and CEO Lee Iacocca wryly commented, "Sometimes even the best manager is like the little boy with the big dog, waiting to see where the the dog wants to go so that he can take him there."
The best way to test whether a person can lead rather than just manage is to ask him to create positive change. Managers can maintain direction, but often they can't change it. Systems and processes can do only so much. To more people in a new direction, you need influence.
2. The Entrepreneur Myth

Frequently, people assume that all entrepreneurs are leaders. But that's not always the case. Entrepreneurs are skilled at seeing opportunities and going after them. They see needs and understand how to meet them in a way that produces a profit. But not all of them are good with people. Many find it necessary to partner with someone skilled at the people part of the equation. If they can't influence people, they can't lead.
3. The Knowledge Myth

Sir Francis Bacon said, "Knowledge is power." If you believe power to be the essence of leadership, then you might naturally assume that those who possess knowledge and intelligence are therefore leaders. That isn't necessarily true. You can visit any major university and meet brilliant research scientists and philosophers whose ability to think is so high that it's off the charts but whose ability to lead is so low that it doesn't even register on the charts. Neither IQ nor education necessarily equates to leadership.
4. The Pioneer Myth

Another misconception is that anyone who is out in front of the crowd is a leader. But being first isn't always the same as leading. For example, Sir Edmund Hillary was the first man to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Since his historic ascent in 1953, hundreds of people have "followed" him in achieving that feat. But that doesn't make Hillary a leader. He wasn't even the official leader on the expedition when he reached the summit. John Hunt was. And when Hilary traveled to the South Pole in 1958 as part of the Commonwealth Trans-Atlantic Expedition, he was accompanying another leader, Sir Vivian Fuchs. To be a leader, a person has to not only be out front, but also have people intentionally coming behind him, following his lead, and acting on his vision. Being a trend-setter is not the same as being a leader.
5. The Position Myth

As mentioned earlier, the greatest misunderstanding about leadership is that people think it is based on position, but it's not. Think about what happened several years ago at Cordiant, the advertising agency formerly known as Saatchi & Saatchi. In 1994, institutional investors of Saatchi & Saatchi forced the board of directors to dismiss Maurice Saatchi, the company's CEO. What was the result? Several executives followed him out. So did many of the company's largest accounts, including British Airways and Mars, the candy maker. Saatchi's influence was so great that his departure caused the company's stock to fall immediately from $8⅝ to $4 per share. What happened is a result of the Law of Influence. Saatchi lost his title and position, but he continued to be the leader. Stanley Huffty affirmed, "It's not the position that makes the leader, it's the leader that makes the position."
(http://www.focalsuccess.com/2014/10/5-myths-about-leadership.html)
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