Article summary with Destructive leadership behaviour: A definition and conceptual model by Einarsen, Schanke Aasland and Skogstad - 2007

Introduction

Leadership research has focused on effective leadership, assuming that the absence of success factors in leaders leads to ineffective leadership. This might not be the case: employees report bullying, theft, sabotage and corruption among their leaders. Understanding and preventing destructive leadership is therefore very important.

A definition of destructive leadership

The definition of destructive leadership that is described in this article is as follows: “The systematic and repeated behaviour by a leader that violates the legitimate interest of the organization by undermining or sabotaging its goals and the motivation, well-being and/or satisfaction of subordinates”. Note: it includes behaviour aimed at both the organization and the subordinates, both physical and verbal, active and passive, direct and indirect. The three most important elements of destructive leadership are:

1. Systematic and repeated. People make mistakes, and so the definition excludes isolated misbehaviour.

2. No call for intent. The behaviour does not have to be intentional, as long as the outcome undermines subordinates and/or the organization (e.g. through thoughtlessness, insensitivity or incompetence).

3. Legitimate interest of the organization. Legitimate is what is lawful, justifiable, and in the best interest of the organization (violating this can be illegal, immoral, or deviant). What is legitimate depends on the legal, historic and cultural context of an organization.

A conceptual model of leadership behaviour

Leadership behaviour can be described on the basis of two axes: the extent to which behaviour is anti or pro-organization, and the extent to which behaviour is anti or pro-subordinates. This results in a quadrant of leadership types. Each leadership type will be discussed:

1. Tyrannical. Tyrannical leadership undermines the motivation, well-being and satisfaction of subordinates without being destructive to the goals of the organization. For example: humiliation, belittlement, aggression, manipulation of subordinates with a strong emphasis on task completion. Upper management may tolerate such a leader.

2. Derailed. Derailed leadership involves both anti-subordinate behaviours (intimidation, bullying) and anti-organization behaviours (laziness, absenteeism, fraud, lack of management skills).

3. Supportive-disloyal. Supportive-disloyal leadership involves consideration for the subordinates while violating the legitimate interest of the organization by undermining task and goal attainment (e.g. granting more benefits than obliged at the cost of the organization, accepting theft). A reason for this type of leadership is that the leaders have different visions or lack strategic competence.

4. Constructive. Constructive leaders are concerned with the welfare of subordinates while being focused on goal attainment for the legitimate interests of the organization. This is the ideal leader.

Additional comment: passive leadership (also known as laissez-faire leadership) falls into one of the three destructive leadership types because it can violate the interests of the organization (e.g. stealing time) and it can undermine the motivation, well-being and satisfaction of subordinates (e.g. failing to guide them). Which type it is depends on how the passive leadership is enacted.