I read an article in the WSJ on Feb 2 by Yascha Mounk at Johns Hopkins titled, “You Don’t Have to Be a Jerk to Succeed.” Sorry, it is behind a paywall if you are not a subscriber. The article catalogs the characters in pop culture like Logan Roy, Dr. Gregory House, and Miranda Priestly, who are very successful but treat people horribly. The authors lament that we may get the idea that to be a good leader we have to adopt a more antisocial personality. I once promoted a person who had shown tremendous potential as an individual contributor. As a leader, she became toxic and I had to let her go. I think that she really believed that treating others poorly was the way to get results.
Fortunately we don’t have to rely on antidotes. A 2014 study by Hunter and Cushenbery looked at 200 students and tracked their career progression for 14 years. Those with high disagreeableness did not get further ahead. Their propensity to advocate for themselves and push their ideas was offset by nobody wanting to associate themselves with them. This was true even in cutthroat industries. Treating people well does not mean sacrificing performance. I believe that treating people well improves performance and creativity.
Our experience might be contrary and it might seem that there are more jerks in positions of power. Another study by Ludwig and Longenecker found that with power comes knowledge and access to resources that inflates a leader’s sense of invincibility. This can lead to more callus and arbitrary behavior. There is the saying, “he was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple.” Don’t let the fact that you know more because of your role and you have the authority to get things done persuade you that you’re better than others. They know how good you really are, telling them doesn’t change anything.
I like the lessons in this article. Care for your team. Respect and be nice to everyone. Seek and listen to feedback. People will be reluctant to tell you when you could do better. It is the rare person who will come to you directly with criticism. Don’t shoot the messenger. You must listen closely to divine the true meaning of the feedback you get. It may come with sugar coating, but good leaders look past the bromides for what people are really saying to learn how they can improve. If you are interested, here is another article that is worth reading. “The Emotional Labor of Being a Leader,” in the Harvard Business Review.