CHANGE
insecurity. Many leaders are very unaware of the effect their actions have on others. Basically, they have very little idea what they are all about. They are strangers to themselves. And due to their insecurities, they may resort
to highly dysfunctional
behaviour. Also, many of these overachievers are continually asking themselves: Am I good enough? Am I up to the job? When will people realise that I shouldn’t have this position in the first place? This is known as the imposter syndrome. Some compensate by becoming more narcissistic in their behaviour to convince everyone else that
themselves and they are truly special.
They may suffer from hubris, contributing to irresponsible actions. Some of them resort
leadership. While
to a silver backed gorilla style of leaders have had to
become more sophisticated over the past three decades to improve their horizontal communication to get things done, in times of stress they can regress very quickly and fall back
into this kind of autocratic
behaviour as a default pattern. At the COL programme, we bring very senior executives
together to learn from
each other, and to help each other become more reflective in action on a day-to-day basis by asking themselves what are they are doing and how are they doing it before they act. Through the use of
the life case study
(meaning they are the cases), they become more self-aware why they are doing what they are doing. COL follows the old injunction: Know Thyself. By focusing on conscious and unconscious behaviour, as well as rational and irrational
action, they learn to prevent
irrational and dysfunctional processes in their companies. Eventually, the methodology learned
from COL contributed to the creation of INSEAD’s Global Leadership Center (IGLC); it made
INSEAD the leading
business school in the world in group coaching; and it also created the foundation for the Executive Master in Consulting and Coaching for Change
(EMCCC), a
successful programme now given on two continents. People ‘transformation’ turned into one of the five principal pillars of excellence that distinguishes INSEAD from other business schools.
CHANGING ROLE OF LEADERSHIP Today’s corporate world is going through a shift not seen since the second industrial revolution. The enhanced capabilities and affordability of technology caused by digital
Basically, they have very little idea what they are all about. They are strangers to themselves.”
innovation has led to fundamental changes in how business is conducted, organisations are managed, and consumers behave. As the world is changing,
leadership is no
longer defined by what a single leader does (the ‘Great Man’ theories) but by the ability to collaborate, motivate and to manage networks. Leadership has become a team sport; leadership behaviour needs to be distributed throughout an organisation. Leadership success today has to do with
the way people think, the way they feel, the way they behave in a responsible manner. This is more than charisma and it is not something that can be learned in three easy steps or over a single programme. Strong leadership requires continuous development. Clever people don’t necessarily become wise, but they can learn how to find ways to cope with stressful experiences by getting to know themselves. It’s always good to keep in mind that leaders are like wine. Some turn out great; others may turn into vinegar!
18 INNOVATION IRELAN REVIEW
Manfred Kets de Vries, INSEAD Distinguished Clinical Professor of Leadership Development and Organisational Change, is founder and programme director of The Challenge of Leadership programme. He founded
INSEAD’s Global
Leadership Centre and was one of the creators of the Executive Master in Consulting and Coaching for Change. Created 25 years ago, the COL programme is a unique personal learning experience providing an opportunity for very senior executives from around the globe to talk and compare complex organisational and life issues
in a confidential
environment. It provides executives with a 720 degree view of their leadership style and, drawing upon psychoanalytic, developmental, cognitive and evolutionary psychology and neuroscience, helps them develop a leadership style that improves the performance of their organisation and contributes to a better life.
Copyright ©INSEAD 2017. All rights reserved. This article first appeared on INSEAD Knowledge
knowledge.insead.edu
“Many leaders are very unaware of the effect their actions have on others.
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