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  • January – February 2011
  • Article
  • Harvard Business Review

Stop Holding Yourself Back

By: Anne Morriss, Robin J. Ely and Frances X. Frei
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Abstract

After working with hundreds of leaders in a wide variety of organizations and in countries all over the globe, the authors found one very clear pattern: when it comes to meeting their leadership potential, many people unintentionally get in their own way. Five barriers in particular tend to keep promising managers from becoming exceptional leaders: people overemphasize personal goals, protect their public image, turn their competitors into two-dimensional enemies, go it alone instead of soliciting support and advice, and wait for permission to lead. Troy, a customer service manager, endangered his job and his company's reputation by focusing on protecting his position, not helping his team; when a trusted friend advised him to change his behavior, the results were striking. Anita's insistence on sticking to the tough persona she'd created for herself caused her to ignore the more intuitive part of the leadership equation, with disastrous results—until she let go of the need to appear invulnerable and reached out to another manager. Jon, a personal trainer who had virtually no experience with either youth development programs or urban life, opened a highly successful gym for inner-city kids at risk; he refused to be daunted by his lack of expertise and decided to simply "go for it." As these and other examples from the authors' research demonstrate, being a leader means making an active decision to lead. Only then will the workforce-and society-benefit from the enormous amount of talent currently sitting on the bench.

Keywords

Transformation; Decision Choices and Conditions; Leadership; Personal Development and Career; Personal Characteristics

Citation

Morriss, Anne, Robin J. Ely, and Frances X. Frei. "Stop Holding Yourself Back." Harvard Business Review 89, nos. 1-2 (January–February 2011).
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About The Authors

Robin J. Ely

Organizational Behavior
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Frances X. Frei

Technology and Operations Management
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More from the Authors

    • April 2022
    • Faculty Research

    Marsha Simms: Trailblazer in Corporate Law

    By: Robin Ely, Boris Groysberg, Colleen Ammerman and Olivia Hull
    • 2021
    • Faculty Research

    A Systems Psychodynamic Perspective on the Persistence of Racial Inequality at Work

    By: Sanaz Mobasseri, Wiliam Kahn and Robin Ely
    • Aug 2021
    • Faculty Research

    Intervening to Advance Equity in Tech

    By: R. Ely, Sanaz Mobasseri and Wiliam Kahn
More from the Authors
  • Marsha Simms: Trailblazer in Corporate Law By: Robin Ely, Boris Groysberg, Colleen Ammerman and Olivia Hull
  • A Systems Psychodynamic Perspective on the Persistence of Racial Inequality at Work By: Sanaz Mobasseri, Wiliam Kahn and Robin Ely
  • Intervening to Advance Equity in Tech By: R. Ely, Sanaz Mobasseri and Wiliam Kahn
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