McKinsey Talks Talent Why so many bad bosses still rise to the top
May 1, 2024
Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic discusses why incompetent men often rise to leadership roles, advocating for a gender-neutral approach. They explore the importance of emotional intelligence, authenticity, and hard skills in leadership selection. The podcast challenges traditional leadership traits and emphasizes the need for selecting stronger, more diverse candidates.
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Promotion Signals Don't Equal Leadership Value
- Organizations often promote people for career-savvy traits rather than true leadership talent.
- This mismatch means many leaders add little organizational value despite reaching top roles.
Competence Benefits All, Not A Gender Issue
- Competent leadership benefits everyone regardless of gender and improves productivity and engagement.
- Current selection favors visible self-promotion over humility and empathy, excluding many strong leaders.
EQ-Focused Selection Would Shift Outcomes
- Women on average show slightly higher EQ, but differences are small and population-level.
- If leadership focused on EQ, we would likely see more women and better leaders overall.