Ever since reading the biography of Steve Jobs, I’ve been confused about what appears to be conflicting leadership principles. Jobs didn’t seem to have any of the ideal leadership qualities espoused by Jim Collins or Daniel Goleman.
He wasn’t a Level 5 leader, or a servant leader, nor did he have much emotional intelligence. His idiosyncrasies and his reputation as a petulant narcissist were legendary. And yet, many proclaimed he was a leadership genius. He led companies to success (Apple, Pixar) with game-changing products.
So what leadership principles explain his success? I think I’ve found the answer: He was a narcissistic leader, and in periods of rapid innovation, that’s what’s needed. Not all narcissism is bad. Many of today’s stellar leaders have healthy doses of what author Michael Maccoby calls “productive narcissism,” combined with strategic intelligence.
“All people, especially leaders, need a healthy dose of narcissism…it’s the engine that drives leadership.” ~ Manfred Kets de Vries
While some thought leaders claim that sustained business success depends on bold innovators, many caution against celebrity CEOs, given that some of them have led Enron- and Tyco-type scams. Some boards prefer turning to CEOs who are by-the-numbers type personalities.
Obsessive business leaders excel at cutting costs, culling nonperformers from the pack, and implementing the right processes and systems. On the other hand, productive narcissists want to create new games, changing the way we live and work. Which approach is better for leading your company?
The answer depends on the context.
I think that at this time in history, we need creative energy and passion more than ever before. According to Michael Maccoby, author of Narcissistic Leaders: Who Succeeds and Who Fails, what differentiates the more successful visionary leaders from the failures is strategic intelligence.
Think of Steve Jobs, Jack Welch, Bill Gates and Herb Kelleher, the flamboyant self-promoter who built Southwest Airlines. These leaders developed disciplined management styles by partnering with operational managers who implemented their strategies. It’s not enough to be a creative genius with media-worthy new ideas.
Building an innovative organization requires leaders who know how to motivate talented and ethical people within a socioeconomic system that creates value for customers, employees and owners.
The problem is, however, many companies, even those known for innovation, don’t want to hire or promote narcissists. No matter how much their leaders boast of encouraging independent thinking and creativity, many businesses have little tolerance for true originals or mavericks. They prefer the obsessive type who is driven to please and enforces company rules.
I believe that with executive coaching, some creative visionaries can learn what’s needed to navigate career success, including developing their strategic intelligence. What do you think?
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One Comment
I got 2/3 of the way through the Steve Jobs biography and had to put it down. I just couldn’t stomach any more. I kept waiting to hear something redeeming about his personality, but Jobs was much more of a narcissist than I could have imagined. I don’t think he was a narcissistic leader. I think he was a narcisstic genius who was so driven, innovative, visionary, and strategicically intelligent that he succeeded in developing a business that excelled despite his leadership flaws. I doubt if executive coaching would have helped Jobs because the extent of his narcissim would probably have prevented him from either wanting or learning how to change his behaviors so he could become a Level 5 leader, servant leader, or any other definition of a true leader. However, coaching certainly can help creative visionaries to succeed at work. But these are visionaries who are “ready for coaching” and not deeply narcissistic as Jobs was.