132 REFLECTIONS ON CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP
- Whether consciously or unconsciously employees expect their
organization ’ s leaders to be exceptionally capable — almost gifted
with magical powers. Leaders have a hard time refusing these posi-
tive ‘ projections ’ of their subordinates, and may start believing that
they are as infallible and powerful as their subordinates think they
are. Reality - testing may suffer when this occurs. - Troubled by guilt feelings about their success and fearful that it may
not last, some leaders become anxious about the envy of others and
may unconsciously cause themselves to fail. Some leaders may
engage in self - sabotage. They may become so anxious that they
cannot make decisions. The expression ‘ snatching defeat out of the
jaws of victory ’ is all too true.
To some degree, every human being suffers from these reactions and
feelings. History has provided us with many examples of leaders whose
behavior became pathological in the extreme once they attained power:
political leaders such as King Saul, Caligula, Adolf Hitler, and Stalin, or
business leaders such as Howard Hughes, Conrad Black (Hollinger
International), and Michael Eisner (former CEO of Walt Disney).
I am not suggesting that all business leaders resort to pathological
behavior upon reaching the top of their organizations. What differenti-
ates those leaders who crash from those who don ’ t is the latter ’ s ability to
stay in touch with reality by creating a vibrant culture of open discourse
in their organization and to take these psychological forces in their stride.
Many leaders are very good at handling the pressures that leadership
brings; indeed, some individuals who may previously have been rather
colorless turn into great leaders when they attain positions of power.
However, some leaders just can ’ t manage; the regressive pulls simply
become too strong.
But what psychological effects are at work between leader and fol-
lowers? The answer to these questions can be found — using clinical
insights — by looking at psychological defensive processes, transferential
relationships, primitive group processes, and dysfunctional ways of man-
aging anxiety and aggression.The case of Frederick the Great
During the night at M ü nsterberg I had a strange dream — I don ’ t know
why, but I have the same dream very often. Anyway I dreamed my
father came into my room at night with six soldiers and ordered them
to tie me up and bring me to Magdeburg. ‘ But why? ’ I asked my sister
who lives in Bayreuth. ‘ Because you have not loved your father enough. ’