--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Myth 2: Leadership is about individuals…" description: "\"“Myth 2: Leadership is about individuals. In fact, leadership is a distributed or collective capacity in a system, not just something that individuals ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/004/c-otto-scharmer-109676_quote_myth-2-leadership-is-about-individuals-i_2156004.jpg" --- # Myth 2: Leadership is about individuals. In fact… ![“Myth 2: Leadership is about individuals. In fact, leadership is a distributed or collective capacity in a system, not just something that individuals do. Leadership is about the capacity of the whole system to sense and actualize the future that wants to emerge.” quote by C. Otto Scharmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/004/c-otto-scharmer-109676_quote_myth-2-leadership-is-about-individuals-i_2156004.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/004/c-otto-scharmer-109676_quote_myth-2-leadership-is-about-individuals-i_2156004.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/004/c-otto-scharmer-109676_quote_myth-2-leadership-is-about-individuals-i_2156004.jpg) > ““Myth 2: Leadership is about individuals. In fact, leadership is a distributed or collective capacity in a system, not just something that individuals do. Leadership is about the capacity of the whole system to sense and actualize the future that wants to emerge.”” [C. Otto Scharmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-otto-scharmer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leadership is a collective system capacity, not just individual action. **In simple terms:** Leadership emerges from the whole system. Key Takeaway Foster collective sensing and future‑creating. Themes leadership systems collectivity Mood thoughtful strategic Type theory leadership When to use this quote - organizational change - community projects - strategic planning Key Concepts systems thinking future studies Questions to Reflect On - How can you nurture collective leadership? - What barriers exist in your group? A Different Perspective Changing system mindset can be difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Individuals Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individuals-leadership-4554406/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership Capacity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership-capacity-745635/) [Leadership Distributed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership-distributed-4554409/) [Leadership Individuals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership-individuals-4554407/) [Myth Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myth-leadership-4554408/) ## Related quotes > [My own definition of leadership is this: The capacity and the will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-law-montgomery/my-own-definition-of-leadership-is-this-the-capacity-and-the-will-to/) [Bernard Law Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-law-montgomery/) > [Leadership is the capacity and will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character which inspires confidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-montgomery/leadership-is-the-capacity-and-will-to-rally-men-and-women-to-a/) [Bernard Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-montgomery/) > [Leadership is the capacity to influence others through inspiration motivated by passion, generated by vision, produced by a conviction, ignited by a purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myles-munroe/leadership-is-the-capacity-to-influence-others-through-inspiration/) [Myles Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myles-munroe/) > [It could be argued that all leadership is appreciative leadership. 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I look at myself as a leader who happens to coach basketball.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-krzyzewski/i-don-t-look-at-myself-as-a-basketball-coach-i-look-at-myself-as-a/) [Mike Krzyzewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-krzyzewski/) > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) [Jennifer Siebel Newsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-siebel-newsom/) > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) [Brian Reade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-reade/) ## More by C. 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Otto Scharmer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-otto-scharmer/) ## More Leader quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) [Brian Reade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-reade/) > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) [Jennifer Siebel Newsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-siebel-newsom/) > [I don't look at myself as a basketball coach. 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