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The Allure of Toxic Leaders

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The Allure of Toxic Leaders Featured Publication & Special Members Only Downloadable Chapter ILA Members publish on the topic of leadership from a variety of perspectives. We are pleased to feature a selection of these publications in this newsletter and our website. In the member connector, authors take you behind the scenes, sharing their perspectives on the work, how the work informs contemporary issues, and highlighting points of interest to ILA members. Th anks to ILA member Jean Lipman-Blumen for contributing to this issue. Visit the member area of the ILA Web site to fi nd additional information on Th e Allure of Toxic Leaders - Why We follow Destructive Bosses and Corrupt Politicians and How We Can Survive Th em and download Chapter 1 “ Toxic Leaders: Th ey’re Plentiful” -- available only to ILA members. If you have a recent publication and are interested in being features in this column, please contact Debra DeRuyver, ILA membership services, at [email protected] or310.405.5218. Featured Publication The Allure of Toxic Leaders - Why We follow Destructive Bosses and Corrupt Politicians and How We Can Survive Th em by Jean Lipman-Blumen (OXFORD University Press, 2004) ILA Staff, Debra DeRuyver: others or do something at that blinds toxic leaders to What is your defi nition of a the expense of others really their shortcomings— not just Toxic Leader? How do we distinguishes serious toxic mistakes— but shortcomings, recognize them? leaders from merely careless or which then makes it diffi cult for unintentionally toxic leaders. them to engage in self-renewal. Jean Lipman-Blumen: Lack of integrity is also high A toxic leader is somebody on the list, as are cynicism, Even more problematical is the who has a poisonous 4. untrustworthiness, hypocrisy, problem of amorality. Many effect on the people or the and corruption. Insatiable toxic leaders can’t discern organization that they lead. ambition that pushes leaders right from wrong. Avarice and By dint of their destructive to put their own well being greed: these make leaders put behavior and dysfunctional and power and glory above the money high up on their list personal characteristics, they well being of their followers is of things they desire. Another generate a serious, and I’d say another telltale sign. characteristic of toxic leaders is enduring, poisonous effect on their reckless disregard for the the individuals, groups, and Arrogance is still another trait. consequences of their actions to organizations that they lead. Arrogance is important because others, as well as to themselves. They leave us worse off than it prevents individual toxic they found us. leaders from recognizing their The last two characteristics mistakes, and, therefore, they of toxic leaders are more There are many characteristics can’t correct them. Related at the unintentional end of of toxic leaders. Intentionality to this is an enormous ego toxic leadership; these are is one. The intent to harm Th e Member Connector, International Leadership Association (Nov 2004) cowardice— which prevents toxic leaders do is identify to feel that we belong to an elite them from making diffi cult scapegoats and incite others of some kind. Third, we have a choices or taking to punish and blame these need to feel membership in the diffi cult actions— scapegoats. human community. Fourth, we and sheer have a need to avoid ostracism incompetence— There is still another way to and isolation, that is, social the failure to recognize toxic leaders: In many death. Fifth, we feel that we understand the instances, they structure the are not strong enough as single true nature of cost of overthrowing them in individuals to challenge a bad the problem such a way that, if they were to leader. confronting be overthrown, it would lead Then, there are deeper them and their to the loss of the entire system. existential reasons that come subsequent We’ve seen this in the corporate from simply being human. And inability to act world, where, if a CEO were the most important of these is effectively. to be fi red, the organization our fear of death and our desire 5. Those are just the qualities would have to pay him or her to live on forever. Most of us of character. When you such a high fee that the entire know we can’t live on forever think about their behavior, company would be put into in a physical sense, but we can toxic leaders are frequently bankruptcy. So the choice live on forever deliberately demeaning, is to stick with the toxic symbolically, leader or allow the whole One of the ways in disenfranchising, demoralizing which toxic leaders that is, in the and intimidating toward organization to disintegrate. minds of future seduce us is that their followers. They try to generations. That they constantly feed by Jean Lipman-Blumen incapacitate them. In political With all of these obvious means we want signs of toxic leadership, us illusions that (OXFORD University Press, 2004) situations, we’re talking about immortality. imprisoning, torturing, and why do we still follow make us believe And immortality killing their followers and them? that they are all usually means frequently their non-followers, powerful and that doing something too. That was THE question. we are quite inept heroic or That was my burning compared to them. memorable for One of the ways in which toxic question when I started the which we will be leaders seduce us is that they book. I couldn’t understand remembered. constantly feed us illusions that why. Why, when we can make us believe that they are clearly recognize them, why do Consequently, we are all powerful and that we are we keep following them? I think susceptible to anyone who quite inept compared to them. the answer is quite complex, promises to keep us safe We followers feel the need to but a major part of that answer from danger and death and rely on them, thus undermining may be found in our very deep who also shows us the way our ability to act independently. psychological and existential to immortality. One way to There’s a lot that toxic leaders needs to which these leaders achieve immortality is by do: They stifl e criticism, lie, speak. doing something heroic. This is misdiagnose problems, and related to our existential need subvert the structures and I think there are at least fi ve to identify with a noble vision, processes that were put in place psychological needs that can so that we feel we are doing to protect truth and justice and prompt us to follow toxic something worthwhile with excellence. In doing so, they leaders. First, we have a need our lives. We like leaders with frequently engage in unethical for a reassuring authority fi gure visions. Another aspect of our and illegal and sometimes even to replace our parents. Second, existential needs involves the criminal acts. Another thing we have a need to feel special, yearning to be at the center of Th e Member Connector, International Leadership Association (Nov 2004) things, where leaders congregate look to other people and leaders, do in women. But I’d like to see and important decisions are divine or human, for safety. We more research on that. made. turn to gods and pray that we’ll be kept safe. We’re also more Take that whole bundle of likely to put ourselves in the Many of your whistle-blower complex psychological needs hands of humans who make the and/or reformer examples, and existential anxieties and unfulfi llable promise to keep us on the other hand, are wrap them up in an individual safe. women. Are women more who lives in a world of likely than men to blow the uncertainty, technological The irreducible nub that will whistle or try to reform toxic accidents, socio-political never go away is that we will leaders? catastrophes, and unsettling all die eventually. The only personal incidents and you uncertainty about our death is That’s an interesting point. I have much of the recipe for how and when think we need to do tolerating toxic leaders. Each and under what During periods of more research on that, society has norms that defi ne conditions it will change, crisis, and but just from looking at what a leader should be, as well occur. So, we it in a non-systematic as standardized ways by which want somebody instability, people way, women do members of that society can who will reassure tend to look for their fair share of measure individual achievement us that they can safety. In such whistleblowing. and self-worth. We all would take care of us. periods, we look to like to be heroes and do We push our other people and One thing to remember 6.6. something remarkable. That anxiety down into about whistleblowers leads to immortality. And, if we our unconscious leaders, divine or is that most of them can’t be heroic by the standards where, human, for safety. endure a lot of of our own society, then we unbeknownst to misery. Fred Alford are more likely to be vulnerable us, it settles into has done a study to toxic leaders who typically the driver’s seat and makes us of whistleblowers that say, “I will be heroic for you, more vulnerable to toxic leaders. discusses this [C. Fred Alford, and if you join my enterprise, Whistleblowers: Broken Lives I will keep you safe. Some of Most of your examples of and Organizational Power]. my heroism will rub off on you. toxic leadership in the book Whistleblowing is very So, you will vicariously become are men.
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