Mythbusting: “Good” versus “Bad” Leaders (and What it Means for You)
When we talk about leaders, we tend to classify them as good, bad, or mediocre. We assume that the good leaders are always able to motivate and inspire others, that the bad leaders are always ineffective, and that the rest are like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches: they get the job done, but would never be your top choice. The chart below depicts this way of thinking about leaders. Leader 1 (the good leader) is consistently more effective than the other leaders, Leader 4 (the bad leader) is consistently less effective, and Leaders 2 and 3 (the PBJ leaders?) are always moderately effective.
If you tend to think about leaders this way, you may be surprised to know there is more to the story. In a study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, researchers examined whether the biggest differences in leadership effectiveness occurred between different leaders or within the same leader over time. The researchers found that between 1/3 to 2/3 of the variation in many effective leader behaviors occurs within leaders. This finding reveals it is wrong to talk and think about leaders as being always good or always bad. Instead, a more accurate view is the one shown in the chart below.
The chart reveals that although Leader 1 is on average most effective, there are times when their effectiveness dips, that on occasion the PBJ leaders can inspire followers like five-star cuisine, and that even “bad” leaders have moments of brilliance.
In my opinion, this second view of leaders is extremely motivating, because it suggests that our ability to lead effectively is not set in stone. It also raises some interesting questions: How can leaders spend more time operating at peak effectiveness, and less time stuck in a trough? How can we bring our best selves to our leadership challenges more regularly?
I believe that the answer to these questions lies in self-regulation, our ability to manage our thoughts, emotions, and behavior (this has also been called “self-leadership”). If we can keep ourselves in a healthy, motivated, positive frame of mind we are much more likely to lead others effectively.
Below I offer three research-supported self-regulation tips that can keep you operating at the peak of your leadership powers. You may want to give one or more of these a try.
1) Get enough sleep. I have been lucky enough to partner with NASA to study astronaut crews. My portion of the research addresses the challenges that occur when a team has to work together in a small space and under high pressure for extended periods (for instance, a trip to Mars). But one of the fun side-benefits of my work with NASA is that I get to learn from other NASA-sponsored research. Scientists are studying cool things like how to design a windshield to withstand asteroid impact and the affect of solar radiation on bone density. One of the findings that made the biggest impression on me though was the influence of sleep deprivation on performance. When astronaut crew members don’t get enough sleep, their performance on basically every measurable dimension falls off a cliff, and although NASA researchers have experimented with a number of countermeasures (including high doses of caffeine), I didn’t see any that fully offset the harm caused by sleep deprivation.
Astronaut crew members tend to be type-A and high achieving — just like many leaders. So if a lack of sleep is so bad for astronauts, imagine what it does to leaders’ effectiveness. In fact, research by my colleague Chris Barnes and others has confirmed that a lack of sleep is negatively associated with charismatic leadership and positively associated with harmful and abusive leader behavior. The myth that the best leaders power through on little to no sleep is exactly that. One of the easiest things you can do to be a more effective leader more of the time is move towards getting the doctor-recommended 7 hours of sleep per night.
2) Mindfulness, spirituality, journaling, and meditation. In these busy times it is tempting to dive headlong into our days without stopping to take time for ourselves. Although it may seem like this is the only way to fit in all of the legitimately important things we need to get done, it can backfire. If we don’t take time out to pause and reflect, unresolved regrets about the past or fears about the future can sneak into our conscious and subconscious minds, and prevent us from being at our best in the present. Fortunately, we can avoid this problem by setting aside time each day to turn our focus inward. I personally try to take some quiet time each morning to meditate, engage in a spiritual practice, write in my journal, do a mindfulness exercise, or listen to affirmations. It is amazing how much better I feel on the days I choose to do one or more of these things then the days I don’t make time for them. If you are interested in experimenting with these self-regulation practices, apps such as Headspace or Insight Timer are great resources.
3) Change your state of mind in tough moments. Research by Bob and Ryan Quinn suggests that in challenging situations, leaders can summon their most effective responses if they change their state of mind. In particular, leaders who are focused on doing good for others, who see the situation as a chance for learning and growth, who see how the situation allows them to live out one or more of their core personal values, and who have a clear vision of what they are trying to achieve are more likely to engage in effective leadership than leader who are focused on themselves and their own performance. Mental states are important leadership tools because they are fairly easy to change — in fact, the Quinns believe leaders can put themselves in a more positive state at a moment’s notice by asking a few simple questions. The next time you need to summon your best self as a leader, ask yourself the following:
1) What result am I trying to achieve?
2) How can I help others in this situation?
3) How does this situation give me the chance to affirm one or more of my core values?
4) How can I learn and grow in this situation?
I invite you to experiment with one or more of these three forms of self-regulation for a few weeks and see what happens. Whether you are a CEO or someone without a leadership position who is trying to move a team, a colleague, or a family member in a more positive direction, I can virtually guarantee that you will see a noticeable difference in your effectiveness as a leader.
References:
Barnes, C. M., Guarana, C. L., Nauman, S., & Kong, D. T. (2016). Too tired to inspire or be inspired: Sleep deprivation and charismatic leadership. Journal of Applied Psychology, 101(8), 1191.
Barnes, C. M., Lucianetti, L., Bhave, D. P., & Christian, M. S. (2015). “You wouldn’t like me when I’m sleepy”: Leaders’ sleep, daily abusive supervision, and work unit engagement. Academy of Management Journal, 58(5), 1419–1437.
Johnson, R. E., Venus, M., Lanaj, K., Mao, C., & Chang, C.-H. (2012). Leader identity as an antecedent of the frequency and consistency of transformational, consideration, and abusive leadership behaviors. Journal of Applied Psychology, 97(6), 1262–1272.
Quinn, R. W., & Quinn, R. E. (2009). Lift: Becoming a positive force in any situation. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
