5 reasons we follow bad leaders. Is it them or us that’s the problem? (2016)
“We really don’t know how to pick good leaders, due to psychological biases and trying to serve our own self-interests rather than the greater good.”
Ronald E. Riggio
Psychology Today, 10 June 2016.
“Why are there so many bad leaders in the world? Psychologist Robert Hogan estimates that the majority of workplace leaders are either deficient or incompetent – one reason why executive turnover is so high. And, with a world full of dictators and despots, political leadership is also full of bad leaders. What’s going on?
“A big part of the problem is that we really don’t know how to pick good leaders, due to psychological biases and trying to serve our own self-interests rather than the greater good.”
The author then highlights and discusses some of the reasons that we choose and follow bad leaders and suggests how ways to spot a good leader:
“1. We value the wrong leader qualities. We value strong, confident leaders, but often confuse arrogance and narcissism for strength
2. We equate effectiveness with being a good leader. We place great value on results, but often neglect to consider how those results were obtained
3. We crave power…. followers enable and assist bad leaders – allowing them to get into positions of power, and supporting their misdeeds
4. We don’t hold leaders accountable. …. The fact that the U.S. Congress passively acquiesced to President George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq, suggests that they weren’t doing their job of fully questioning the President’s course of action.
5. We rationalise. All too often we give leaders “a pass” instead of holding them accountable. Or, we allow leaders to be above the rules..”
Access the full article here: 5 reasons we follow bad leaders.
Leave a comment (1)
Back to the topDichotomising leaders as either good or bad is not helpful. We need to be clear about what we mean by these terms. Consider, for example, that Jeremy Corbyn is seen as a good leader by his party and a bad one by labour MPs. There is a difference of perspective dependent on the nature of the leadership task under consideration. Also we should not forget that the leader-follower relationship is a dynamic one. Many people find Donald Trump’s style and comments offensive. But from Donald’s perspective, he has achieved what those critics thought impossible for him – the Republican presidential nomination. Hence it is more useful to talk about the effectiveness of specific leadership behaviours in context if we wish to know who should lead whom, to do what, and when.