Great thoughts from D.C. Innes and Anthony Bradley on the importance of virtue in leaders. Innes is reflecting on themes from Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goldman and others. I’ve appreciated other work form Goldman. An excerpt from Innes:
The authors contend that central to the success of any leader is his (or her) ability to be emotionally compelling to those under his care: “Great leaders move us.” Your boss will foster a work environment that is emotionally toxic or harmonious, dissonant or resonant. Leaders who have a tin ear to workplace emotions produce a group hobbled with anger, fear, and a sense of futility. The team gets off mission, and their mission-capability itself suffers. In this sense, effective leaders are sympathetic and compassionate. The authors call this “emotional intelligence.” Christ calls it “love.”
Bradley contrasts this with narcissism, citing research which shows that “people who score high in narcissism tend to find themselves in leadership positions, especially when there are leadership voids in organizations:”
Narcissists are self-centered and hold exaggerated views about their talents and abilities while lacking empathy for others. Narcissists have an inflated sense of their own importance and a deep need for admiration. They believe they are superior to others and, therefore, have little regard for other people’s feelings. When narcissists become leaders, in politics, business, schools, and the like, morale, employee productivity, and efficiency suffer.