The Leadership Myth of Meritocracy: Why Passing the Test Doesn’t Mean You’re Ready to Lead

Many people in corporate spaces are driving without ever having learned how and we don’t talk about this enough. We assume passing a test means you’re ready to lead, but knowing the rules isn’t the same as understanding how to drive. This gap is dangerous not just for the person behind the wheel, but for everyone they encounter.

It's easy to forget how much certification builds our leadership infrastructure. We forget about capacity. We have to appear polished, not present. We look at titles, degrees, performance reviews, and assume this is the entire story, but what we are measuring isn’t necessarily actual skill. It’s the performance of competency and the ability to regurgitate. It’s a checkmark in the “right box”. A license.

When Minimum Criteria Masquerades as Readiness

I use the metaphor of driving because many people understand it—it hits home. For instance, think about how we test drivers.

You take a class, a written test, maybe drive a few minutes with someone who is deciding whether you pass or fail. Hopefully, you can parallel park and follow instructions well. But none of these proves you’re ready to hit the road during a snowstorm, or drive defensively in rush hour traffic, or how to maneuver a sudden stop going 70 miles per hour.

Having a license says you have met the minimum criteria, but knowing how to drive is very different from the test.

Most people in leadership are driving off minimal instruction, under untested pressure, within a standardized system built on outdated norms. We know the systems reward performance, nor preparedness. The result is leaders who excel at playing the role but are unequipped to navigate complexity.

A System That Measures Proximity, Not Potential

The harm isn’t just individual, it’s systematic. We all took driving lessons from different teachers, yet we all took the same standardized test. The system assumes we all had the same starting point, same access, same opportunities, but ‌we each had unique experiences.

That’s why I say meritocracy is a myth. It doesn’t measure potential. It measures proximity to resources and privilege, which is often used to uphold inequity.

When we treat success like it’s only about hard work and personal responsibility, we erase the very real conditions that shape someone’s ability to even show up. The people who are the most prepared sometimes don’t make it to these top leadership positions. Others may make it, but they aren’t ready for what’s on the other side.

If you’ve been told you didn’t measure up based on someone else’s rules, that narrative runs deep and I would invite you to unpack this with me below.

The Uncomfortable Truth

So here’s what I want us to sit with:

• What would your leadership look like if you weren’t measured by someone else’s rubric?

• To what extent do we reward compliance and conformity over creativity and critical thinking in leadership?

• How much of leadership development focuses on maintaining the current system rather than fostering genuine change?

  
  

I don’t ask these questions to shame anybody. I ask because I’ve lived this.

I’ve performed. I’ve played the part. I’ve over delivered just to get a seat at a table that ultimately didn’t acknowledge my gifts. However, once I saw the system clearly, I started choosing differently. Not only for myself, but for my team.

Because I want them to be prepared, not just passed. I want them to lead, not just manage. And I want them to trust that who they are is enough.

One of my former mentees used to come to me for advice on her career and guidance on how to navigate bigger professional opportunities. When asked about my impact, she said, “His impact on both my career and life has been transformative. He's helped me see talent within myself that I hadn't yet discovered, and encouraged me to apply for roles that were more visible, and it required more accountability, only because he knew that I could rise to the challenge. He knew I could handle more than I was giving myself credit for, and I really appreciate that he was always so encouraging, and that allowed my confidence to grow as well.”

That’s the leadership we need. One that doesn’t stop at checking boxes, but reaches for the truth beneath the resume. One that makes space for someone’s brilliance before they even see it for themselves.

Because here’s what I know, when leaders are elevated without being equipped, entire systems suffer. Trusting, challenging, and deeply understanding people makes them more than performers; they become stewards of transformation.

Let’s Rewrite the Rule and Go Deeper

If you're ready to stop measuring your leadership by someone else’s expectations. If you're done performing. If you're ready to build something deeper for yourself, your team, or your organization.

Let’s talk. Schedule a Complimentary Growtation and let’s unpack the old rules you’ve outgrown.