Is it okay for humans to be exploited by destructive leaders who create extreme results?
There are leaders who are lauded for their vision, the productivity they drive, and the revolutions they initiate. At the same time, these leaders can be demanding, even destructive, in their encounters with the people around them. A well-known example is Steve Jobs -- known for his brilliant eye for design and user experience, but also for heavy-handed treatment of employees. Another example is Elon Musk, who is constantly portrayed as both visionary and extremely demanding — for some almost inhuman in terms of demands and workload.
Why does this work -- at least in the short term?
Research on destructive leadership shows that such patterns are not random but systematic (Einarsen, Aasland & Skogstad, 2007; Padilla, Hogan & Kaiser, 2007). They often combine abilities that can create results with behaviors that cost dearly over time:
- Intelligence and Vision: Leaders with high intelligence can see contexts and opportunities others don't see. This provides direction and impetus.
- Radical focus: Some destructive moves can lead to unwavering prioritization. Anything that doesn't support the goal becomes unimportant, which can push the organization to deliver what seems impossible.
- Charisma and fear: Destructive leaders can both inspire and intimidate. The charisma drags people with it, while fear of falling outside keeps the intensity up (Tepper, 2000).
The results can be huge: Apple products have changed entire industries, Tesla has turned the automotive industry upside down — but the price is often the relationships, trust and employee health.
Long-term consequences
Schyns and Schilling (2013) show in a meta-study that destructive leadership is associated with lower job satisfaction, higher throughput, and less commitment. Over time, this can create organizational wounds that are difficult to repair.
When a leader's destructive move is given too much room, it can create:
- High throughput of employees
- Low psychological security (Edmondson, 2018)
- Limited capacity for learning and broad innovation
- A 'scorched earth' landscape where only the most hardy can stand to stay
This dynamic is as familiar in politics as it is in business: strong leadership figures can deliver extreme results but leave deeper wounds in the culture.
The question we need to ask
What exactly is “success”? Is it market value and technology that is changing the world -- or is it a community that builds sustainable development over time? Bernard Bass and Bruce Avolio's research on transformational leadership (Bass & Riggio, 2006) reminds us that leadership can also be defined by the ability to develop others, not just drive results. Tourish (2013) precisely criticizes the “shadow sides” in visionary leadership styles when they overlook care and community. Here we can also recall Stein Bråthen's emphasis on the “power of dialogue” — that what builds the future is not just brilliant individuals, but the ability we have to create meaningful bonds between people.
Reflection questions for you as a leader
- What kind of results are most important to you: numbers on the bottom line or the relationships that carry the organization forward?
- What do you do to balance visionary power with caring for your employees?
- What traces do you want your leadership style to leave behind in ten years?
Extreme results can fascinate and inspire. But when the price gets too high, we should ask ourselves: is this really the way we want to go? The truly great leader may not be the one who burns out his people to win today, but the one who builds a culture where people can flourish and develop — and where the results thus last over time.
References
Bass, B. M., & Riggio, R. E. (2006). Transformational Leadership. Erlbaum.
Edmondson, A. (2018). The Fearless Organization. It's Wiley.
Einarsen, S., Aasland, M. S., & Skogstad, A. (2007). Destructive leadership behavior: A definition and conceptual model. The Leadership Quarterly, 18 (3), 207—216.
Padilla, A., Hogan, R., & Kaiser, R. B. (2007). The toxic triangle: Destructive leaders, susceptible followers, and conducive environments. The Leadership Quarterly, 18 (3), 176—194.
Schyns, B., & Schilling, J. (2013). How bad are the effects of bad leaders? A meta-analysis of destructive leadership and its outcomes. The Leadership Quarterly, 24 (1), 138—158.
Blankets, B. J. (2000). Consequences of abusive supervision. Academy of Management Journal, 43 (2), 178—190.
Tourish, D. (2013). The Dark Side of Transformational Leadership. Routledge.
