In today's business reality, where uncertainty and the need for continuous evolution define the course of organisations, the quality of leadership plays a crucial role. The ability to lead does not automatically arise from the title one holds, nor from the formal authority one is granted. Instead, it is intrinsically linked to maturity, self-awareness, and a commitment to the development of the whole.
However, practical experience reveals a timeless phenomenon: the rise of individuals to positions of responsibility who lack the fundamental characteristics of true leadership. When power falls into the wrong hands, minor duties are transformed into opportunities for authoritarian displays. Limited successes are projected as monumental achievements. Insecurity is masked by excessive control and the belittlement of others.
Common manifestations of this pathology include excessive micromanagement, blame shifting, credit stealing, and the obstruction of the development of capable individuals. To these must be added practices such as deliberately avoiding responses to critical messages, covert detachment from problems, and the use of manipulative techniques aimed at preserving personal control at the expense of collective progress. Excessive controlling management creates an atmosphere of mistrust and stifles autonomy. Blame shifting corrodes the sense of justice. Credit stealing undermines motivation and trust. Systematically blocking talented individuals entrenches organisational stagnation.
The academic literature has extensively analysed these phenomena. According to the theory of Transformational Leadership (Bass & Avolio, 1994), authentic leaders do not seek control, but rather inspire vision and empower others. Edgar Schein (2010) emphasises that culture is the foundation upon which an organisation is either built or collapses. In environments where superficiality and subservience are rewarded, the rise of mediocrity becomes inevitable, while innovation is sidelined. Amy Edmondson (2018) adds that psychological safety is a fundamental prerequisite for team learning and organisational development, a prerequisite undermined by behaviours of excessive control and personal promotion.
Immature exercise of power has profound consequences on the internal dynamics of organisations. It creates toxic cultures, weakens employee motivation, and obstructs the maintenance of innovation and agility. There is perhaps no better reminder that power, when not accompanied by substance and humility, becomes a caricature of itself.
In such environments, the gap between perceived and actual value is deafening. And there, as aptly captured by Greek folk wisdom:
"The fly grew an ass and shat on the whole world."
This saying, harsh yet disarmingly accurate, reveals the essence of arrogance that develops when smallness attempts to masquerade as greatness.
The need to redefine leadership is urgent. An organisation that invests in authentic leadership, humility, and service to the collective good fortifies itself against the decay brought by superficiality and insecurity. The true strength of a leader, and by extension of an organisation, is not judged by the noise it produces, but by the value it creates and the longevity it secures.
References
Bass, B. M., & Avolio, B. J. (1994). Improving Organisational Effectiveness through Transformational Leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Einarsen, S., Aasland, M. S., & Skogstad, A. (2007). Destructive leadership behaviour: A definition and conceptual model. The Leadership Quarterly, 18(3), 207–216.
Greenleaf, R. K. (1977). Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness. New York: Paulist Press.
Schein, E. H. (2010). Organisational Culture and Leadership (4th ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Edmondson, A. C. (2018). The Fearless Organisation: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.