Theories of Bad Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Theories of Bad Leadership - Essay Example And (5) Are good and bad leadership qualitatively different phenomena? Kellerman’s views from her discourse entitled â€Å"Costs and Benefits: Why We Need to Study Bad Leadership† proffered pertinent issue relative to incompetent leaders based on two claims: (1) placing bad leadership on two axes: unethical and ineffective; and (2) stipulating seven types of bad leadership, to wit: incompetent, rigid, intemperate, callous, corrupt, insular, and evil (Kellerman, 2004, pp. 3-4). By eventually expounding on the costs of bad leadership, as well as finding justifications for any perceived benefits and confirming in the end that â€Å"without followers nothing happens, including bad leadership† (Kellerman, 2004, p. 8). One therefore shares the same contention as the evidence Kellerman presented to prove from the cited actual examples that it actually takes two to tango. From the point of view of Kellerman, leaders can fail given the opportune situation and with the assistance, negligence, blind obedience, conformity, or even ignorance of the followers. Aside from exhibiting any or a combination of the seven types of bad leadership enumerated above, leaders apparently fail with the assistance of the followers. Kellerman cited followers who were deemed enablers, blind supporters, covering for the leaders’ mistakes, compliant and ignorant stakeholders who enable leaders to operate without the benefit of checks and balances, and allowing assuming an avoiding stance. Lipman-Blumen’s view, on the other hand, used six psychological factors that explain why people apparently allow, choose, and support the existence of bad leaders. These factors include the needs for reassuring figures, security and certainty, feel special or chosen, and being part of a community; as well as fears for being ostracized and being powerless (Lipman-Bluman, 2006, p. 29). These psychological factors that could be traced since developmental stages form the basis for selecting leaders