How to Be Awesome at Your Job

977: What Makes Leaders Bad—and What You Can Do About It–with Dr. Barbara Kellerman

Jul 11, 2024

Dr. Barbara Kellerman discusses bad leadership, distinguishing types and tips for addressing it. Exploration of Jack Welch's leadership legacy, importance of structured leadership learning, and taking action against bad leaders. Universal concepts of leadership, power, and influence across cultures are also highlighted.

37:25

Episode guests

Barbara Kellerman

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Quick takeaways

Recognizing various forms of bad leadership is crucial for assessing and addressing leadership challenges.

Early intervention to counter bad leadership is essential to prevent escalation and mitigate its adverse effects.

Deep dives

Recognizing Different Types of Bad Leadership

Bad leadership can manifest in various forms, ranging from ineffectual to evil. Dr. Kellerman discusses the importance of recognizing these different types, emphasizing that behaviors such as inflicting physical or psychological pain distinguish a leader's impact. Understanding the spectrum of bad leadership, from ineffective to unethical, is crucial for assessing and addressing leadership challenges.

The Importance of Follower Power

01:05

Leadership Learning Demands Depth

01:29

Intro

1min

Exploring Bad Leadership

4min

Jack Welch's Leadership Legacy at General Electric

5min

Importance of Structured Leadership Learning Process

3min

Addressing Bad Leadership: Taking Action and Providing Feedback

19min

Universal Concepts of Leadership, Power, and Influence

6min

Dr. Barbara Kellerman explores the roots of bad leadership and offers strategic tips for challenging it.

— YOU’LL LEARN —

1) Where leadership training falls short

2) The two core components of “bad” leadership

3) Four tips for standing up to bad leaders

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— ABOUT BARBARA —

Barbara Kellerman was Founding Executive Director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School; the Kennedy’s School’s James MacGregor Burns Lecturer in Leadership; and a member of the Harvard faculty for over twenty years. She is currently a Fellow at the Center.

Kellerman received her B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, and her M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. (in Political Science) degrees from Yale University. She was awarded a Danforth Fellowship and three Fulbright fellowships. Kellerman was cofounder of the International Leadership Association (ILA) and is author and editor of many books. She’s appeared on numerous media outlets and has contributed to the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Times, and the Harvard Business Review.

She received the Wilbur M. McFeeley Award from the National Management Association for her pioneering work on leadership and followership, as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Leadership Association. From 2015 to 2024 she has been ranked by Global Gurus as among the “World’s Top 30 Management Professionals.”

• Book: Bad Leadership: What It Is, How It Happens, Why It Matters (Leadership for the Common Good)

• Book: Leadership from Bad to Worse: What Happens When Bad Festers

• Book: Professionalizing Leadership

• Website: BarbaraKellerman.com

— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW —

• Documents: The Federalist Papers

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