Beyond the Hero Founder: What Modern Psychology Tells Us About Leadership
Revisiting Carlyle’s “Great Man” Theory—and What Founders Need to Know Now
Modern business culture still loves a hero.
From magazine covers to LinkedIn posts, we celebrate the lone visionary who builds something from nothing. The disruptor. The genius. The founder with bold vision, impossible standards, and relentless hustle.
It’s a compelling story—and an old one.
In 1841, Scottish historian and philosopher Thomas Carlyle gave a series of lectures later published as On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History. In it, Carlyle argued that history is shaped by the actions of great individuals—“heroes” born with unique abilities that set them apart from the rest of us. This became the foundation of what we now call the Great Man Theory of leadership.
At the time, it resonated. But nearly two centuries later, we know a lot more about leadership—and human behaviour.
Today, modern psychology offers a more useful and empowering perspective for founders. In this post, we’ll explore Carlyle’s original ideas, examine how they still echo in founder culture, and offer a healthier way to lead that doesn’t require you to be a hero.
Carlyle’s View: The Hero as the Source of History
Carlyle believed that:
History is driven by extraordinary individuals, not by movements or systems
These “Great Men” possess an innate brilliance, moral strength, or divine inspiration
They emerge in times of crisis and reshape the world through sheer force of will
Their leadership is not learned—it’s natural, even destined
He celebrated figures like Odin, Muhammad, Shakespeare, and Napoleon as examples of this phenomenon. To Carlyle, these leaders didn’t just influence events. They created history.
While his ideas reflected the times, they also helped seed a dangerous myth: that leadership is something you’re born with, not something you build.
What Modern Psychology Tells Us Instead
Since Carlyle’s time, decades of research in psychology, leadership, and organizational behaviour have shown us a more complex—and far more hopeful—truth.
1. Leadership Is Contextual
Effective leadership depends on the situation. What works in one company, team, or moment might fail in another. The “best” leader adapts to the needs of the people, the business, and the phase of growth. (See: Fiedler’s Contingency Theory, Vroom & Jago’s Decision-Making Model)
2. Leadership Is Learned, Not Born
Skills like emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and decision-making can be developed through experience, feedback, and reflection. Founders don’t have to start with everything figured out—they just have to be willing to learn.
3. Teams, Systems, and Culture Drive Performance
Modern businesses succeed because of strong systems, aligned teams, and intentional cultures—not just exceptional individuals. Founders who build effective structures outperform those who try to carry everything themselves.
4. The Hero Narrative Hurts the Business (and the Founder)
Founders who believe they have to be the smartest, most visionary, or most capable person in every room create real risks:
Team members become overly dependent or disengaged
Bottlenecks slow down execution
The business becomes fragile—too reliant on one person
Founders burn out trying to live up to their own myth
How Carlyle’s Ideas Still Echo in Founder Culture
You may not talk about “heroes,” but the same thinking shows up in how many founders lead:
“If I’m not involved, things fall apart.”
“No one understands the business like I do.”
“I can’t step back—it’s my name, my vision, my responsibility.”
“This company is me.”
These beliefs feel true in the early days, because they often are. In the beginning, you’re the engine. But if they persist, they become constraints—on your growth, your team’s potential, and your business’s resilience.
At Founded Partners, we call this the founder trap: when the very behaviours that helped you launch the business now hold it back from scaling.
A Better Path: Leadership as a Practice, Not a Persona
The best founders we work with aren’t heroes. They’re builders. They don’t see themselves as irreplaceable—they build companies that are resilient, repeatable, and valuable without their constant presence.
Here’s how to break from the hero myth and lead more effectively:
1. Share the Load
Start by getting clear on which decisions require your input and which can be delegated. If everything flows through you, nothing scales. Build a leadership team with real accountability—and let them lead.
2. Be the Architect, Not the Operator
Founders who stay too close to execution stall their company’s growth. Your job is to design the business: the vision, the strategy, the culture, and the leadership model. Let your team run the systems you’ve built.
3. Build Leadership at Every Level
Don’t look for more followers. Develop more leaders. Coach your managers. Give them room to stretch. Create an environment where leadership is distributed—not hoarded at the top.
4. Get Feedback and Stay Self-Aware
You don’t need to be perfect. You need to be open. Use advisors, coaches, or structured feedback systems to spot blind spots early. Stay close to reality, not reputation.
5. Separate Your Identity From the Company
You are not your company. It may reflect your values, but it’s not your identity. Letting go doesn’t mean giving up. It means stepping into a new kind of leadership—one that serves the business, not your ego.
Leadership Doesn’t Require a Cape
Thomas Carlyle gave us one of the earliest, most enduring views of leadership—the hero, larger than life, destined to lead. But business doesn’t need heroes. It needs capable, thoughtful, and adaptable leaders. It needs founders who can evolve with their companies—and design systems that thrive even in their absence.
You don’t need to be brilliant at everything.
You don’t need to carry every decision.
You don’t need to be the hero.
You just need to lead with intention, clarity, and support.
Tired of trying to carry it all yourself?
Let’s build something better—together.
At Founded Partners, we help founder-led companies evolve beyond heroic leadership into resilient, scalable, founder-supported businesses. Our Founder Advisory work helps you navigate change, strengthen your leadership, and build the systems and teams that let your business thrive.
You don’t need to do this alone. You just need the right support.