The conventional view of leadership is of something done by heroic soloists. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The myth of heroic leadership–soloism–is ancient and pervasive.

A few weeks ago, I met with a tremendous business leader. He runs a multi-billion dollar energy business that is global, complex, and volatile. An engineer by training, he’s alert both to the political and the financial stresses that impact his industry and–like all his competitors–he’s trying to keep up with the new energy technologies that could transform his business.

But that wasn’t what he wanted to talk about. What concerns him most are the leaders within his organization. He knows that they’re all smart and that they work all the hours available. (Some, crossing time zones, even work more.) But what he worries about is this: Are his leaders creating leaders?

The honest answer–right now–is that they aren’t. They are so busy managing up that they haven’t even thought about anything else. But here’s the trap: As long as they’re pleasing the boss, they can’t please the boss. The only way to get on top of their game is to create leaders beneath them.

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