The Shady Side of Leaders
Underneath this flabby exterior is an enormous lack of character,
Oscar Levant,
What we know about leaders.
Failing organizations are the direct results of the person/people who create, manage and lead them Finkelstein (2003). Contrary to popular notions, most leaders who failed were not incompetent, lack talent, or not hard workers. Failed leaders possessed advance skills and intelligence, and higher educational accomplishments, which justified their appointment in most instances.
Leaders fail because of “Who they are” more than what they know. More than any factors, the leader’s character is the major factor to derailment. Character is an intangible variable, also one that is hard to define. Self-awareness, relationship intelligence, social competence, and authenticity are some traits of a sound character.
Leader’s behaviors is the primary indicator to organizational success or failure.
Reasons Leaders Derail
(1) Inability to understand other people’s perspective
Leaders who lack self-awareness lack relational awareness. They fail to recognize the essentials of other group members. This inability to decipher creates lack of team cohesiveness and wasted efforts. Followers do not care for leaders who do not care for them.
(2) Arrogance, insensitive, aloofness, self-centered
Derailed leaders lack emotional intelligence. Unable or unwilling to deal with their own emotions they are abrasive to others. Their leadership position resonate a self-righteous charisma, they disregard others insight and individuality. The most important thing is that they are right.
(3) Betrayal of Trust
When a leader cannot be trusted, followers go through the motions. Cautious followers are weary of investing social and emotional capital in such derailed leaders. The practice of untruthfulness has damaged the group’s relationship and resolve.
(4) Inability to Handle Stress
Derailed leaders cannot handle stressful situations well, they freeze. These leaders lack emotional strength and stressful situations rattle their fragile character. Group ineffectiveness, poor-performance and lack of structure are blamed on the team by these leaders.
(5) Unbiased Evaluation of Performance
Derailed leaders cocoon themselves in a critique free environment. Their supportive staff lack audacity to reveal their leader’s inadequacies. Poor leaders do not allow their leaderships’ skills to be questioned. They believe a leader is synonymous with being a “good leader.”
Robert Williams
