Theories of leadership abound, but there are also a number of assumptions made about leaders which on closer inspection turn out to be false.

1. We often think that leadership is rare, but in fact it is quite common. Leadership does not only happen in high-profile business environments, but in all sorts of contexts, such as within families and in social and charitable organisations outside work.

2. Leaders are not necessarily the people at the top of the organisation. Different kinds of leaders, both official and unofficial, may exist at all levels.

3. Similarly it may only be seen to be necessary to train the top people in leadership, when in fact this needs to happen at team, operational and strategic levels too. Succession planning demands that tomorrow