What kind of leader is most effective in times of big
changes? It might surprise some to know that without mentally ill leaders the
American Civil War, World War II, the American Civil Rights movement of the
1960s, most U.S. Presidential administrations, and many of the most successful
and transformational businesses on the planet all may have had completely
different endings without the imbalanced minds of their leaders.
Winston Churchill had recurring bouts of severe depression
and suicidal behaviors. He would avoid places where it was easy for him to
impulsively end it all, like railway platforms and ledges. Abraham Lincoln was
also treated for his depressive and suicidal episodes. Both social activists, Mahatma
Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr, attempted suicide when they were younger and
continued to have severe depression in adulthood. (Ghaemi, 2011)
General Douglas MacArthur, Jack Welch, George Soros, Ross
Perot, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Bill Gates, Andy Grove, Barak Obama, Joseph Stalin,
Donald Trump, and many others, all present symptoms of classic narcissistic
personality disorder. (Maccoby, 2004) (Gilbert, 2014) Those with this disorder lack empathy.
They seek admiration and believe they are superior to other people,
exaggerating self-importance. They are self-centered, demanding, and manipulative.
They don’t tolerate criticism well, and they don’t like to lose. When they do
fail, they treat the experience as if they are injured and victimized. But don’t
be fooled, under the surface they are usually fragile. Therefore, to avoid such
devastating episodes, they drive themselves and the people around them to
succeed at any cost. (Narcissistic Personality Disorder, 2018)
Steve Jobs (Apple) and Larry Page (Google) are two of the
more modern well-known leaders with obvious traits of mania. (Browning, 2013) (Call, 2017)
So many other leaders have shown signs of hypomania, which is essentially mania-light.
Those with mania have at least occational manic symptoms such as bipolar
disorder, heightened moods, hyperactivity, reduced need for sleep, demanding
assertiveness, unrealistic activities, super energy, racing thoughts, unfocused
attention, short fused outbursts, they like to hear themselves talk, and they
may even be hypersexual. (Farrell, 2013)
Through all that is negative about these mental conditions, these
successful leaders in times of great crisis and big change offer little
attention to the negative and set their focus on the irresistible opportunity
to create a new future. They discard the past as a guide to the future. They
create new solutions to old problems that former ways were not able to resolve.
Those who are normally weak and ineffective in calm and controlled times became
strong in times of calamity and challenge. In slower times they may even manufacture
chaos so they can save the day. The reason they have become leaders is because of
the convincingly powerful positive attributes that come with these three mental
issues. Here are a few of them:
Narcissism
·
Compelling vision
·
Attractive speech
·
Inspired followers
Mania
·
Highly creative
·
Structured, process driven thinkers
·
Increased resilience
Depression
·
Enhanced realism and clarity
·
Adaptive to a changing reality
·
Increased empathy
If the president of the board of directors is looking for a
leader to make the most out of a large capital injection, the above traits are
very attractive.
However, the most unfortunate downside to all of this is that
leaders with these conditions are successful usually at the expense of people.
Many people’s lives have been ruined and even sacrificed for the purpose of a goal
at the hands of these unstable leaders.
How might this come into play as project managers? Projects
by nature are disruptive. Project managers are on hand to facilitate and manage
these changes. Sponsors of projects are leaders who have been authorized to champion
and execute big ideas. Big projects attract those who like to succeed. This is a
ripe environment for the type of leader who may not be playing with a full
deck.
I’ve worked for the depressed, maniacal, and narcissistic. It’s
not all bad. But it’s not all fun. And I don’t recommend seeking out projects
with these kinds of leaders at the head. But sometimes the project manager will
find themselves in this situation, intentional or not. It requires the project
manager be familiar with the pitfalls brought on by these type of people. And
it requires the project manager to understand methods for overcoming the
negative impacts and tapping into the positive aspects of those leaders whom I
have loosely defined as mentally ill.
The basic tenants of these troubled personalities have been briefly
outlined above. So, how does a project manager minimize the negative effects of
these types of leaders while maximizing the more beneficial attributes? Here
are some recommendations that may help:
Don’t Take It Personal, Just Stay Focused
Narcissists will love you or hate you; there is no middle
ground. And there’s little anyone can do to fundamentally change them. So, it’s
best not to fight it head-on, if for no other reason but to keep your sanity.
Adjust your behavior as needed in a way that doesn’t bring unwanted attention and
produces forward momentum for the project.
There will be times when the attention of the narcissist will
be on you. When this person is on a tirade, Dr. Craig Malkin suggests
re-directing the conversation with a simple shift of focus. Say something like
this: “Thank you for the feedback. I’d like to use all our feedback to help solve
our current problems and finish the project. What specific changes did you have
in mind? Let's just make those changes so we can wrap this up.” If you say it
sincerely, this won’t devalue the person’s input and it will steer the
conversation more directly toward the primary objective. (Premack, 2018) Don’t take any attacks from these
people personally, just let it slide off and focus on the project.
Embrace the Good
There will be times when you need the boss to inspire project
members to follow an exciting vision, beyond what you can do as the project
manager. The leader can be a great asset to bring an extra dose of inspiration and
enthusiasm.
Sometimes you will need a potent voice in the discussion to help
the team become more structured and process driven. The leader with mania can
help with that. A leader with this “problem” can also help guide creative
thinking sessions.
A leader who struggles with depression can be helpful when
bringing ideas to help with burnout, because this type of person is empathetic.
But you wouldn’t turn to the narcissistic leader because that person has no
empathy.
Discover traits in the leader that will help the project and
ask for it when you need it. They will be happy to oblige and you will gain a
little respect from the leader.
Set Up the Environment for Success
There are environmental factors that can ease the troubled
mind. Here are a few tips for dealing with those with manic or depressive
tendencies: (Tips for Managing Bipolar Disorder at Work, 2018)
- When in situations that may cause stress, take breaks often and before you think you need them
- Encourage the team to get up and move around; walk and be as active as possible
- If you can put relaxing music in the background, do that
- Bring in nutritious food to lunch meetings; don’t encourage junk food
- Reduce distractions in your work area
- Have meetings in rooms that bring in natural light
- Work with to-do lists and check things off when completed
- Break large tasks down into smaller tasks
- Create clear, written instructions and notes
- Schedule work at the most productive time of the day; mid-morning if possible
- Reduce caffeine intake to reduce adrenaline
Detox
Those with issues tend to bring others down with them. Don’t
let these toxic events erode the performance of your team. Brain studies have
shown that even just a few days of stress will compromise brain function,
reducing the effectiveness of neurons in the hippocampus, the part of the brain
that is responsible for reasoning and memory. When 90% of those who are top
performers are ones who can remain calm with controlled emotions during times
of stress, it is important for the project manager to be the example and to
help others do the same. Here are a few ways this is accomplished: (Bradberry, 2015)
- Set limits with the complainers; be sympathetic but don’t get sucked into their negative emotional world
- Live to fight another day; check your emotions when facing a toxic foe; save your fight for something more worthy
- Distance yourself emotionally; just stick to the facts; don’t feed the monster
- Toxic people are not yours to fix; own your problems, not theirs
- Rise above it; consciously and proactively set boundaries and limit engagements
- Be the master of your own happiness; you are never as good or bad as anyone else thinks
- Focus on solutions, not problems
- Forgive; let go of what happened but guard yourself against repeat offenders
- Surround yourself with supporters of good
Summary
Projects are difficult enough without crazy people. But, as
long as we have them, we might as well take them at their best. Over the past
20 years of managing projects I can honestly say that not one person had no
value, even the most difficult. I can always find a way for everyone to have a positive
contribution. All of the positive attributes that troubled leaders bring are
the reason they are the leader. Respect that. They can be a great asset to
project teams; they can contribute to overwhelming success. Recognize the positive
and use it to the greatest extent possible. This is the mandate of the project
manager. But also recognize and respect the negative aspects of their
dispositions. Learn how to reign it all in and redirect the focus. Manage the
good and the bad.
Bibliography
Bradberry, T. (2015, March 17). 12 Ways
Successful People Handle Toxic People. Retrieved from Entrepreneur:
https://www.entrepreneur.com/slideshow/299696
Browning, G. (2013, May 16). Why Steve Jobs'
Exactitude Mattered as Much as His Vision. Retrieved from Inc:
https://www.inc.com/geil-browning/leadership-communication-structured-thinking.html
Call, K. (2017, February 22). Broken Pedestals:
The Dark Sides of 5 Popular CEOs. Retrieved from Business.com:
https://www.business.com/articles/broken-pedestals-the-dark-sides-of-5-popular-ceos/
Farrell, H. M. (2013, March 9). March Madness: 7
Signs of Hypomania. Retrieved from Psychology Today:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/frontpage-forensics/201303/march-madness-7-signs-hypomania
Ghaemi, N. (2011, July 30). Depression in
Command. Retrieved from The Wall Street Journal:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424053111904800304576474451102761640
Gilbert, R. (2014). Douglas MacArthur: Disordered
Narcissist. Constructing the Past, 15(1). Retrieved from
https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/constructing/vol15/iss1/5
Maccoby, M. (2004, January). Narcissistic
Leaders: The Incredible Pros, the Inevitable Cons. Retrieved from Harvard
Buisness Review:
https://hbr.org/2004/01/narcissistic-leaders-the-incredible-pros-the-inevitable-cons
Narcissistic Personality Disorder. (2018, March 6). Retrieved from Psychology Today:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/narcissistic-personality-disorder
Premack, R. (2018, August 7). 7 signs you may be
dealing with a narcissistic coworker or boss — and how to deal with them.
Retrieved from Business Insider:
https://www.businessinsider.com/narcissist-at-work-narcissistic-coworker-2018-8
Tips for Managing Bipolar Disorder at Work. (2018, September 23). Retrieved from WebMD: https://www.webmd.com/bipolar-disorder/guide/managing-bipolar-disorder-at-work-job-performance-tips#1
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