5 Myths About Disruption Leadership That Might Be Holding You Back
When the stakes are high and the pace is fast, strong leadership matters more than ever.
But what if some of your default leadership instincts—especially during disruption—are based on outdated assumptions?
Let’s reframe five common myths that keep leaders stuck during change, and explore new ways of thinking that build clarity, trust, and traction.
Myth 1: “I need to have all the answers.”
The Reframe: You don’t need all the answers. You need a process for learning in real time and mobilizing the collective intelligence of your team.
Why It Matters: In complex, fast-changing environments, certainty is a liability. Agility and adaptive learning are the real power moves.
Reflection Question: What might open up if I focused more on asking better questions than giving the right answers?
Myth 2: “Change means chaos—I have to control everything.”
The Reframe: Disruption doesn’t have to mean disorder. With the right structures and communication rhythms, you can co-create stability inside change.
Why It Matters: Over-controlling in uncertain times leads to micromanagement, mistrust, and missed opportunities.
Reflection Question: Where might I be overreaching in the name of stability—and what would co-leadership look like instead?
Myth 3: “My job is to shield my team from the disruption.”
The Reframe: Shielding your team from reality disempowers them. Your role is to translate disruption into shared meaning and aligned action.
Why It Matters: Transparency (when paired with purpose) builds trust, engagement, and resilience.
Reflection Question: What tough truths need to be named right now—and how can I frame them with hope and clarity?
Myth 4: “We just need to stick to the plan.”
The Reframe: Planning is important—but rigidity is risky. Strategic agility means knowing when to pivot, pause, or recommit with intention.
Why It Matters: Leaders who adapt well don’t throw away the plan—they refine it regularly with input, insight, and intention.
Reflection Question: What part of our current plan might need a strategic recalibration?
Myth 5: “I need to be strong for everyone else—I can’t show uncertainty.”
The Reframe: Strength isn’t about pretending to know. It’s about staying grounded, curious, and connected—even in ambiguity.
Why It Matters: Authenticity creates psychological safety. Your team doesn’t need a perfect leader—they need a present one.
Reflection Question: Where am I hiding my humanity in the name of leadership—and what would it look like to lead from realness instead?
Disruption isn’t just a test of your strategy—it’s a test of your mindset.
The most effective leaders aren’t the ones who control the storm. They’re the ones who grow their capacity to navigate through it—with clarity, curiosity, and courage.
Leadership Practice
Try this in your next leadership team meeting:
1. Share the five myths from the article with your team.
2. Invite each team member to choose the myth they most resonate with—or feel stuck in.
3. Ask:
How is this myth showing up in your leadership right now?
What’s one shift you could make to lead more effectively through disruption?
Bonus: Create a “Disruption Reframes” board or shared doc where the team can document new beliefs and practices to lead from.
This simple practice builds leadership self-awareness, normalizes learning, and fosters collective growth during uncertainty.
About Athena
Athena Williams, Founder and CEO of Tenacious Leadership Institute, has been supporting leaders worldwide to become more tenacious for over 20 years. She has found that tenacity is the key to sustained leadership success in today’s ever-changing world. Through her coaching and leadership development programs, she helps leaders expertly handle change, complexity and other challenges so they can quickly get better results for themselves, their teams and their organizations.
Take the first step to becoming a tenacious leader by scheduling a call with us.
