How Leadership Fails?
Dr Sven Hansen
Expert coach and trainer for building physical, emotional and mental skills. Internationally recognised speaker and trainer for executives, professionals and leadership teams.
When humility, restraint and empathy fail.
Bob Woodward’s new book Fear is quite a read. He describes the situation as “a nervous breakdown of the executive power of the most powerful country in the world.”[1] It is a carefully researched and documented close-up of the White House, the President, and the people rotating through the leadership team.
Leadership is the theme of our time. With a century of research, case study, and opinion, we have a wealth of knowledge on what constitutes good leadership. We have clear examples of what great leaders can achieve and also what damage poor leadership can wreak.
With the Whitehouse leadership spectacle, some watch with awe and approval. Others with disgust and horror. It is hard to judge. Perhaps the US needs this kind of shake-up. Behind the spectacle and lies, an observer could conclude that this is dangerous leadership.
At the end of the day leadership is behaviour – one interaction at a time. These crucible moments rest on the disciplines of leadership; self-awareness, self-mastery, empathy and positive influence. Situations are complex, fluid and messy. The stakes are high for the people, creatures and the ecology of our planet.
We are witnessing an extreme example of leadership. “Fear” is a good word for Woodward’s book. What risk is posed? Ultimately, the leader owns full responsibility. Let’s be generous and expand responsibility to the leadership system. What do we see?
First, humility is rare. Humility sits at the core of sanity and leadership. Self-awareness is possible only with the humility to own responsibility for our states, actions and decisions. When we take responsibility, we can learn and improve. This leadership works on blame. It is always someone’s fault. The system has professionalised blame and the media feasts.
When a leader shows confidence without self-awareness we have arrogance. It has been called CEO disease. In case after case, we see this impossible spectacle of blame, deceit and subterfuge. Accountability, learning and effective compromise is impossible.
What matters is to look good and to be approved of. This is narcissistic leadership.
Restraint or impulse control is the second foundation of leadership – even amongst our primate ancestors. When the stakes are high the pressure to lash out, lie or withdraw is immense. All social animals rely upon leaders to stay calm, restrain impulsive behaviour and regulate emotion for the greater good.
In global leadership, poor impulse control can trigger catastrophic consequences. This administration operates in an explosive and coercive emotional carnage. Unauthorised Tweets, swearing, personalised attacks, withdrawal, and multi-day rages prevail. According to a recent New York Times article over 31 senior officials have resigned or been fired. Months of painstaking research, debate and agreement dissolve with morning Tweet.
The cast has access to a button that releases nuclear Armageddon.
Third, the job of leadership is to make life better for people. To do this we have to be interested in others and be able to demonstrate empathy. Priebus is quoted: “The president has zero psychological ability to recognize empathy or pity in any way.” (Woodward, p 235)
As a consequence, there is little respect, listening or collaboration. Policy is chaotic and captured by self interest groups. It is a leadership team obsessed with looking good and surviving. What little caring for Americans is shown, is based on archaic views unsupported by the data. Respect for relationships, nations, nature and the planet are missing in action.
In psychiatry, the combination of narcissism, impulsivity and lack of empathy is psychopathy. This is worse than a nervous breakdown?
“Real power is – I don't even want to use the word – fear.” D Trump, 31 March 2016.
Fourth, leadership’s ultimate purpose is to secure positive influence towards a greater good. Crafting policy in today’s world requires very careful process, relationship-building, compromise and careful, consistent execution. This is not possible in the White House today. Policy is random, individual, opinionated and erratic.
Examined through the lens of resilient leadership, we are witnessing a collapse of leadership in the world’s leading super-power. Academics agree that we are seeing liberal, global economics cede to right-wing protectionism and populism. Is this a temporary lurch backwards from a liberal world order? Will the shock help us recharge humility, restraint and empathy?
In the meantime, the financial markets are hitting records and developed economies are thriving. Trump is claiming victory. On the other side, depression, anxiety and drug overdoses hit new heights. More people kill themselves than are killed by wars or traffic accidents.
As Noah Yuval Harari[2]recommends it is helpful to be bewildered rather than fearful.
We can all learn as this leadership debacle unfolds. Be firm and act:
- Be humble and accept your imperfections. It stimulates learning and growth
- Restrain the impulses of anger, fear and despair. Find kindness, calm presence and hope.
- Mitigate craving and greed. Be content, respect others and develop your empathy.
[1]Fear. Trump in the Whitehouse, Bob Woodward, Simon & Schuster, 2018.
[2]21 Lessons for the 21stCentury, Noah Yuval Harari, 2018.
Director and Advisor
6 年Sven, Well put. I hope more people who lead organisations reflect on the messages, even if they consider that they are different. We can all learn from what we see happening around us when all too commonly whatever happens it is almost never the fault of the leaders. We certainly see it in the US right now and we even see it here in our own government.
Founder and CEO at Spirited Business?
6 年Well written Sven..despite being tragic ??