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Bad Leadership

April 22, 2006 | 1 Comment

Bad Leadership

What It Is and How To Avoid It

Is leadership good or bad? Most contemporary leadership resources simply assume that leadership is good. As a result of this, they fail to recognize the reality of bad leadership.

In Bad Leadership, author Linda Kellerman opposes the widely held view “that it is good to be a leader because to be a leader is, ipso facto, to be good” (xv). Kellerman dramatically makes her point by drawing attention to a problem she labels “Hitler’s ghost” (11). “Not only was his impact on twentieth-century history arguably greater than anyone else’s, but also he was brilliantly skilled at inspiring, mobilizing, and directing followers. His use of coercion notwithstanding, if this is not leadership, what is?” (11) Hitler was a skilled leader – clear, effective, and highly influential – but was he good? The answer is obvious.

Leadership, in and of itself, is not necessarily good. There is such a thing as bad leadership. In order to truly develop a philosophy of leadership, this must be recognized: “To deny bad leadership equivalence in the conversation and curriculum [of the leadership industry] is misguided, tantamount to a medical school that would claim to teach health while ignoring disease.” (11)

It is the phenomenon of bad leadership that Kellerman analyzes in her book. She summarizes her contribution: “I describe how we exercise power, authority, and influence in ways that do harm. This harm is not necessarily deliberate. It can be the result of carelessness or neglect. But this does not make it less injurious, and in some cases calamitous” (xiii). Her ultimate intention is to better answer the question: “What is to be done to maximize good leadership and minimize bad leadership?” (xvi)

Bad Followers

Of course, leaders – whether good or bad – cannot exist without followers. Kellerman rightly places some responsibility on the followers that empower and enable bad leaders. She...