A recent episode of the McKinsey Talks Talent podcast discusses research findings from Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, which explore why so many seemingly bad bosses rise to the top of their organizations. According to Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic’s research, many organizations tend to favor overconfidence, narcissism, and incompetence in candidates for leadership roles. Interestingly, this has also been shown to contribute to gender inequity in leadership, which the podcast episode considers in depth.
Meanwhile, competent leaders have been shown to benefit the broader organization, driving greater productivity, engagement, and community. So, what should organizations do differently to help put the best people in leadership positions?
Some of the best qualities in a leader, including empathy, self-awareness, integrity, and humility, are what keep these individuals from catching the attention of decision makers. Qualities indicative of narcissism, for instance, like being entertaining and charismatic, are appealing and often associated with leaders, even as many might acknowledge that working with these individuals can be difficult. The criteria used to identify potential leaders should be reconsidered.
Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic suggests that organizations should do their best to “ignore everything that is style and not substance” and “de-emphasize things like credentials, expertise, and experience” with “less focus on hard skills and more focus on the right soft skills.” Organizations should shift emphasis from the traditional career-enhancing traits and dispositions described above to identifying leadership candidates who are passionate about helping other people improve.
Based on our past research, it is recommended that organizations nurture leadership qualities in their workforce by helping their people develop crucial personal skills. As with any major organizational change, this must be approached holistically in alignment with the influence model. Steps to take include:
- Conveying understanding and conviction through a compelling change story by educating leaders about their enormous impact on employees’ lives, demonstrating the broader impact of employee experience to the organization.
- Role modeling a personal commitment to employee well-being through self-reflection to identify biases and tendencies toward any unsupportive behaviors.
- Embracing skill- and confidence-building, such as giving and receiving feedback, practicing mindfulness and self-awareness, and connecting with others through empathy.
- Adopting formal mechanisms that reinforce the right behaviors, including assessing employee satisfaction during performance evaluations and prioritizing continuous learning and coaching over criticism.
There are opportunities for current and potential leaders to take the process of becoming a better manager into their own hands as well. Four simple, human characteristics to practice, to build a solid foundation, include:
- Empathy, compassion, and vulnerability: Develop a sincere interest in employee well-being while creating psychological safety in the workplace.
- Gratitude: Express genuine thankfulness for employee contributions and achievements.
- Positivity: Give positive feedback to build employee confidence and reinforce beneficial behaviors.
- Awareness and self-care: Help oneself first to become a more supportive and compassionate manager for others.
Those interested in learning more about how to nurture these human-centric leadership traits should keep an eye out for our upcoming book, The Journey of Leadership.
Choosing and developing stronger, more successful leaders requires a mindset shift in the traits and skills most valuable to the role. Dr. Chamorro-Premuzic’s work suggests that this can prove a worthwhile endeavor—one that can greatly benefit an organization, and one that can enhance diversity in leadership.
Learn more about this research by listening to the McKinsey Talks Talent podcast episode, “Why so many bad bosses still rise to the top.”