

How Bad Leaders Get Worse over Time
57 snips Apr 30, 2024
Barbara Kellerman, a Fellow at the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School and author of "Leadership from Bad to Worse," delves into how bad leaders worsen over time. She discusses the Volkswagen emissions scandal as a cautionary tale illustrating poor leadership's systemic pitfalls. Kellerman emphasizes the need for followers to critically assess their leaders, highlighting examples from tech and beyond. She offers insights on recognizing ineffective leaders and stresses the importance of personal values in leadership dynamics.
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Volkswagen's Leadership Failure
- Volkswagen's CEO, Martin Winterkorn, was known for ambition and a demanding leadership style.
- This leadership style contributed to the 2015 "Emissionsgate" scandal, despite initial successes.
Bad Leadership: A Social Disease
- Bad leadership is a persistent social disease, like physical or mental illnesses.
- We tolerate bad leadership without effective solutions, despite its negative impact.
Defining Bad Leadership
- Defining "bad" leadership is complex due to differing values and opinions.
- Use effectiveness and ethical conduct as key criteria for evaluating leadership.