Dismantling Dysfunction

Narcissistic leaders and how to deal with them is a popular theme these days. There's a tendency to slap a narcissist label on any leader who drives their own agenda, demonstrates confidence in their abilities, or is insistent on things being done in a certain way. However, mistaking a confident, inspiring leader for someone with narcissistic defenses or a personality disorder does a disservice to those who act from healthy entitlement and their authentic self. At the same time, it's impossible to ignore the fact that narcissistic leaders are very common in organizations today. Yes, they are charming, engaging, and so much fun when they are at their best. But navigating the minefield that is a narcissist is something no one enjoys. The dysfunctions that narcissistic leaders create in organizations are significant, abundant, and extremely destructive.

In today's episode, Anne & Heather explore the Dysfunction of Narcissistic Leadership and share some real client stories that illustrate just how common it is to find this type of leadership behavior in organizations today. They'll also share some practical tips that you can use if the Dysfunction of Narcissistic Leadership has taken control of your organization.

If you want to know more about Anne & Heather's work with dismantling dysfunctions in organizations and leadership behavior at Caliber Leadership Systems, check out:

https://dismantlingdysfunction.com

https://www.dranitsaris-hilliard.com

https://caliberleadership.com

Stop contributing to organizational dysfunction. Pick up your copy of So, You Think You Can Lead?: A Guide to Developing Your Leadership Authority and Potential

Make sure you sign up for our weekly newsletters for tips on how to dismantle dysfunction and develop your leaders: https://bit.ly/dismantlingdysfunction

Are you dealing with an organizational dysfunction you need help with? Or do you have a story you would like to share on our show? Contact us at [email protected].

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [01:31] Episode introduction and overview

• [03:04] The important distinction between Narcissistic Defenses and Narcissistic Personality Disorder

• [17:28] How one Narcissistic Leader can spoil an entire leadership team

• [20:38] Sub-dysfunctions that Narcissistic Leaders can cause: Silos

• [23:28] Sub-dysfunctions that Narcissistic Leaders can cause: Entitlement

• [25:12] Sub-dysfunctions that Narcissistic Leaders can cause: Lack of Ethics

• [28:18] Sub-dysfunctions that Narcissistic Leaders can cause: Competition

• [33:33] Episode gem & practical takeaway

• [35:21] Episode wrap up

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• People who are narcissistic easily assume the role of leader because they feel entitled to the place at the top. This affirms their belief in their superiority. They enjoy having power and have no difficulty using it to get what they want. Many leaders are image-driven and are good at rising to power within an organization because of their charm, charisma and ability to promote themselves.

• Whether it's an employee or a leader, the common factor is the self-interest that drives their behavior. They are only interested in their own needs, desires and agenda. Their priority is meeting their needs, often at the expense of their employees and team members. Other common behaviors are arrogance, entitlement, competitiveness and devaluation of others. We know that narcissistic behavior is unhealthy and destructive and we often hear clients complain about their narcissistic boss's need to one-up everyone or they act entitled to take the ideas and work of others and make it their own, taking all credit for themselves, basking in the glow of their self-importance.

• While narcissists promote the image of having family values, loyalty and caring for their people, these are only ideas that support their image as they are only really committed to their agendas. The impact on the organization is that all decisions must support the narcissistic leader's interest and agenda despite the notion they promote of being inclusive and collaborative. The interests of the organization as a whole take a back burner to the grandiose needs of this leader. While promoting the idea of being democratic and collaborative, they are singular-focused and autocratic.

• Many narcissistic leaders don't know how to lead despite promoting the notion they are great leaders. What you see isn't always what you get, and this can be incredibly damaging for an organization. Because they don't have a solid plan or strategy their focus is on undoing the great work done by others to make themselves look good.

• Dealing with narcissistic leaders requires strong leadership at the top so their behavior is held in check and their influence is limited by their peers not tolerating it. The tendency is to focus on their dysfunctional behavior and complain about it. What is actually necessary is to stop focusing on the narcissist and giving them power. Strengthen those around them and hold them accountable for maintaining their own opinions and boundaries.

There has never been a time when emotionally intelligent leaders were more important and relevant than right now. The ability to create a sense of belonging, empathize with the employee experience and engage not only the minds, but the hearts and passion of employees is critical – but it's still overlooked in most leadership training. Emotionally intelligent leadership has been proven to correlate with job satisfaction, employee performance, organizational performance, and lower levels of employee turnover and burnout. The unfortunate truth is most leaders still have low emotional intelligence and are doing little to bridge the gap between the need and their responsibility to meet it. The Dysfunction of Low Emotional Intelligence and all of its destructive symptoms is the result. In today's episode, Anne & Heather explore the Dysfunction of Low Emotional Intelligence and share a real client story that illustrates just how common it is to find this type of leadership behavior in organizations today. They'll also share some practical tips that you can use if the Dysfunction of Low Emotional Intelligence is wreaking havoc in your organization.

If you want to know more about Anne & Heather's work with dismantling dysfunctions in organizations and leadership behavior at Caliber Leadership Systems, check out:

https://dismantlingdysfunction.com

https://www.dranitsaris-hilliard.com

https://caliberleadership.com

Stop contributing to organizational dysfunction. Pick up your copy of So, You Think You Can Lead?: A Guide to Developing Your Leadership Authority and Potential

Make sure you sign up for our weekly newsletters for tips on how to dismantle dysfunction and develop your leaders: https://bit.ly/dismantlingdysfunction

Are you dealing with an organizational dysfunction you need help with? Or do you have a story you would like to share on our show? Contact us at [email protected].

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [01:39] Episode introduction and overview

• [6:39] A working definition of Emotional Intelligence

• [09:10] The Impact of low Emotional Intelligence

• [30:58] Our client story experiencing the Dysfunction of Low Emotional Intelligence

• [32:59] Root causes we identified that contributed to the dysfunction

• [35:21] Our approach to helping the client overcome the dysfunction

• [38:48] Outcomes and successes for our client

• [43:11] Episode gem & practical takeaway

• [44:36] Episode wrap up

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• The reality is that emotions and emotional needs either negatively impact results, or they are managed and directed to improve outcomes. No matter how much leaders pretend they don't let their feelings affect them, without emotional self-awareness, they can't possibly know the impact they are having on their behavior and on how they are perceived by others. While many do a good job of ignoring or disconnecting from them, emotions are the drivers of our behavior and when suppressed, lead to subjective, reactive decision making.

• Many leaders pride themselves in their ability to make rational decisions, thinking they know what employees need and how they should behave. They have a bias against emotional expression, thinking that it is the result of an immature person. This leads them to think that anything presented with emotions should be ignored or discounted. In reality, decision-making is influenced by feelings, emotions and biases, rather than the result of independent rational thinking.

• Leaders who profess to not feel fear, get upset, etc. tend to override their feelings by controlling them and by extension, fail to tune in to how employees may feel and don't factor it into their decision making.

• Companies that intentionally work to create psychological safety will listen to all opinions, disagreements, ideas and emotions in a judgment-free zone. In organizations suffering from low EQ, conflict, fear of being shamed, power struggles and passive-aggressive behaviors are more likely the norm.

• For many employees, fear is still an important reality in the world of work that causes them to shut down rather than participate. Not just fear of losing one's job or getting sick but a fear of the boss, fear of not being liked, fear their performance won't measure up. Employees still check in with peers to see what the boss's mood is before asking them a question.

• Achieving organizational potential involves ensuring that the psychological security and emotional needs of employees that positively impact productivity, morale, as well as the ability of its members to thrive and achieve their full potential is embedded in leadership practices, systems, training, and development. To eliminate the dysfunction of low EI, leaders need to take the time and make the effort to build emotional intelligence and create psychological safety in the work environment.

We are noticing a disturbing trend in organizations where leaders think they are supportive of their employees but in fact, they are actually neglecting their needs and issues. We don't often talk about neglect in the context of organizational life and leadership behavior - but it is so common, with costly results. When leaders don't see themselves as having needs, or neglect themselves, they extend this same treatment to their employees. Employees are left with the notion that there is nothing they need to develop, they are perfect the way they are. Or everyone is complaining that they are being overlooked and undervalued because they are not being shown that they are worth the effort of the leader to develop them or invest time in leading them. When you think about how extensive the impact of neglect is in any environment, you can see why the Dysfunction of Neglect needs to be understood. In today's episode, Anne & Heather explore the Dysfunction of Neglect and share a real client story that illustrates just how common it is to find this type of leadership behavior in organizations today. They'll also share some practical tips that you can use if the Dysfunction of Neglect is causing the leaders in your organization to ignore their own needs, their team's needs, and the needs of everyone else they work with.

If you want to know more about Anne & Heather's work with dismantling dysfunctions in organizations and leadership behavior at Caliber Leadership Systems, check out:

https://dismantlingdysfunction.com

https://www.dranitsaris-hilliard.com

https://caliberleadership.com

Stop contributing to organizational dysfunction. Pick up your copy of So, You Think You Can Lead?: A Guide to Developing Your Leadership Authority and Potential

Make sure you sign up for our weekly newsletters for tips on how to dismantle dysfunction and develop your leaders: https://bit.ly/dismantlingdysfunction

Are you dealing with an organizational dysfunction you need help with? Or do you have a story you would like to share on our show? Contact us at [email protected].

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [01:36] Episode introduction and overview

• [02:37] What is the Dysfunction of Neglect?

• [28:35] Our client story experiencing the Dysfunction of Neglect

• [30:07] Root causes we identified that contributed to the dysfunction

• [32:00] Our approach to helping the client overcome the dysfunction

• [37:18] Outcomes and successes for our client

• [39:00] Episode gem & practical takeaway

• [40:39] Episode wrap up

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• The Dysfunction of Neglect is caused by leaders who fail to nurture the talents and abilities of their employees and fail to create cultures where employees thrive despite ongoing uncertainties for business. It takes so much more than espousing values like "people first". Leaders must show their commitment to their values by demonstrating behaviors that build trust, create psychological safety and listening and responding to the needs of employees. It takes so much more than espousing values like "people first". Leaders must show their commitment to their values by demonstrating behaviors that build trust, create psychological safety and listening and responding to the needs of employees.

• When employees are expected to focus on productivity and decisions to invest in employees are made when there is proof of their impact on the bottom line it contributes to the dysfunction of neglect. Investment in intangibles like training and development, employee engagement surveys, performance development planning are neglected because they don't have a direct link to improving the bottom line. They also neglect implementing or updating performance management, communication, accountability, reward & recognition systems to name a few, leading to organization-wide neglect to provide the necessities that support a cohesive workplace.

• Under leaders that suffer from the Dysfunction of Neglect, employees are expected to focus on productivity, and decisions to invest in employees are made when there is proof of their impact on the bottom line. For intangibles like training and development, employee engagement surveys, performance development planning that doesn't have a direct link to improving the bottom line, leaders refuse to entertain even having discussions about them.

• Leaders who neglect their own needs have a tendency to resist the idea that employees need investing in or attending to. A lack of emotional self-awareness and overall emotional intelligence lies at the heart of decisions made to not nurture the talent of their people and invest in their success. It also leads to a collective resistance to do anything about the symptoms of the dysfunction, blaming employees for being unhappy or leaving to work in an environment where they feel valued. To eliminate the dysfunction of Neglect, leaders need to build emotional intelligence, actually listen to the needs of employees, identifying red flags instead of discounting them as complaining; and learn different leadership approaches to keep employees engaged.

There is a disturbing trend in organizations with leaders letting employees off the hook when they fail to meet their commitments on time, refuse to do aspects of their jobs, or when they simply don't show up for meetings as requested. The cold hard truth is that many leaders have abdicated their responsibility for holding employees accountable. And instead, these leaders' efforts are directed towards trying to embody their idea of a "great leader" – one that empowers and supports employees by letting them figure things out for themselves… They don't see their abdication of responsibility for what it is: a big problem. A problem that sets the stage for all kinds of bad behavior, power struggles, misalignment and reduced productivity. Welcome to the Dysfunction of Accountability.

In today's episode, Anne & Heather explore the Dysfunction of Accountability and share a real client story that illustrates just how common it is to find this type of leadership behavior in organizations today. They'll also share some practical tips that you can use if the Dysfunction of Accountability is causing the leaders in your organization to abdicate their leadership responsibilities.

If you want to know more about Anne & Heather's work with dismantling dysfunctions in organizations and leadership behavior at Caliber Leadership Systems, check out:

https://dismantlingdysfunction.com

https://www.dranitsaris-hilliard.com

https://caliberleadership.com

Stop contributing to organizational dysfunction. Pick up your copy of So, You Think You Can Lead?: A Guide to Developing Your Leadership Authority and Potential

Make sure you sign up for our weekly newsletters for tips on how to dismantle dysfunction and develop your leaders: https://bit.ly/dismantlingdysfunction

Are you dealing with an organizational dysfunction you need help with? Or do you have a story you would like to share on our show? Contact us at [email protected].

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [01:28] Episode introduction and overview

• [02:45] What is the Dysfunction of Accountability?

• [20:30] Our client story experiencing the Dysfunction of Accountability

• [23:05] Root causes we identified that contributed to the dysfunction

• [26:40] Our approach to helping the client overcome the dysfunction

• [32:54] Outcomes and successes for our client

• [34:33] Episode gem & practical takeaway

• [36:45] Episode wrap up

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• The Dysfunction of Accountability is caused by adaptative permissive leadership behavior. It develops when leaders' fears of creating upset in their employees gets them to become more permissive and less directive in their approach to leading others.
• A major contributor to the Dysfunction of Accountability is the fixed mindset that leaders have around accountability. This fixed mindset causes beliefs such as, "feedback is criticism, and it's a personal attack that employees won't like", "I can't afford to demotivate them by giving them feedback or expectations", "holding employees accountable will make me a micromanager". These beliefs cause leaders to abdicate their responsibility for ensuring effective communication with their employees.
• Permissive leadership behavior is just a way that leaders compensate for a lack of skill development, and a fear of creating emotional conflict and people. It's adaptive, and leaders are often unconscious as to how they're getting in the way of their employees' success by not asserting authority and holding employees accountable to expectations.
• With leadership training and development, long-standing self-protective patterns of behavior can be changed, and new productive responses and patterns can be put in their place. Leadership skills, performance systems, and authority on personal, peer and organizational levels are the essential ingredients needed.
• When dealing with the Dysfunction of Accountability, employee success depends on leaders remembering that they're responsible for creating a roadmap by defining expectations, course correcting and holding employees accountable for staying the course.

You've probably heard about the Peter Principle, you know, the tendency in most organizational hierarchies for every employee to rise in that hierarchy until they reach a level of respective incompetence. This includes leaders who often ride the wave of the success of their business without doing any real development until they reach a place where they can't take the business any further without admitting that they don't know how to seek help and step out of their comfort zones. These leaders are usually determined to maintain the notion that they know what they're doing and uphold the image of themselves as a great leader. So, they hunker down, preserve the status quo, and create the organizational dysfunction of stagnation.

In today's episode, Anne & Heather explore the Dysfunction of Stagnation and share a real client story that illustrates just how common it is to find this type of leadership behavior in organizations today. They'll also share some practical tips that you can use if the Dysfunction of Stagnation is keeping your organization stuck in a rut.

If you want to know more about Anne & Heather's work with dismantling dysfunctions in organizations and leadership behavior at Caliber Leadership Systems, check out:

https://dismantlingdysfunction.com

https://www.dranitsaris-hilliard.com

https://caliberleadership.com

Stop contributing to organizational dysfunction. Pick up your copy of So, You Think You Can Lead?: A Guide to Developing Your Leadership Authority and Potential

Make sure you sign up for our weekly newsletters for tips on how to dismantle dysfunction and develop your leaders: https://bit.ly/dismantlingdysfunction

Are you dealing with an organizational dysfunction you need help with? Or do you have a story you would like to share on our show? Contact us at [email protected].

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [01:40] Episode introduction and overview

• [02:41] What is the Dysfunction of Stagnation?

• [20:00] Our client story experience of getting stuck in their success comfort zone

• [25:35] Root causes we identified that contributed to the dysfunction

• [30:09] Our approach to helping the client overcome the dysfunction

• [39:12] Outcomes and successes for our client

• [41:12] Episode gem & practical takeaway

• [43:28] Episode wrap up

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• The Peter Principle is the tendency for organizational hierarchies to continuously promote employees until they reach a level of respective incompetence. Getting stuck there is a key contributor to the dysfunction of stagnation.

• Self-deception plays a significant part in the failure of an organization to continue growing. The leaders hold the idea that they are continuing to be successful by doing what they have always done. This is the story they tell themselves, and they don't look to themselves to see how their behavior might be getting in the way of growth and causing this Dysfunction of Stagnation. Instead, they look for external evidence to confirm that the issue has nothing to do with them.

• If you want to see growth in your business or even in your functional area, you have to step out of your comfort zone. And that means challenging the fears and fixed beliefs that are causing your organization to stagnate.

• Working with a coach or consultant that can show you how to overcome your resistance and fast track your development as your organization goes through the normal stages of development is critical to the success of organizational change.

One of the least discussed issues in organizations is the misuse or abuse of power by leaders. Leaders can either use power to stay in control, becoming autocratic, or give power away, becoming permissive. In both cases, do not understand how to use role authority and as a result, don't add value to their organizations. Often, when a senior leader misuses power and becomes autocratic, the next level of leaders act out of powerlessness and become permissive. Overall, the organization suffers because everyone is stuck trying to placate a senior leader at the expense of their own talents, abilities, and competence. In today's episode, Anne & Heather explore the Dysfunction of Misuse and Abuse Power and share a real client story that illustrates just how common it is to find this type of leadership behavior in organizations today. They'll also share advice about what you can do if leaders are misusing and abusing power in your organization right now.

If you want to know more about Anne & Heather's work with dismantling dysfunctions in organizations and leadership behavior at Caliber Leadership Systems, check out:

https://dismantlingdysfunction.com

https://www.dranitsaris-hilliard.com

https://caliberleadership.com

Stop contributing to organizational dysfunction. Pick up your copy of So, You Think You Can Lead?: A Guide to Developing Your Leadership Authority and Potential

Make sure you sign up for our weekly newsletters for tips on how to dismantle dysfunction and develop your leaders: https://bit.ly/dismantlingdysfunction

Are you dealing with an organizational dysfunction you need help with? Or do you have a story you would like to share on our show? Contact us at [email protected].

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [01:26] Episode introduction and overview

• [02:32] What is the Dysfunction of Misuse and Abuse of Power

• [13:50] Our client story illustrating their abuse of power

• [16:11] Root causes we identified that contributed to the dysfunction

• [18:42] Our approach to helping the client work through dismantling the dysfunction

• [24:05] Outcomes and successes for our client

• [26:47] Episode gem & practical takeaway

• [27:58] Episode wrap up

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Leaders without any training or development are at the mercy of their personality. They lean heavily on the use of controlling, autocratic behaviors to make sure things are done the way they want them. This meets their innate need to be in control and drive for results. Limited in skillful leadership they fit with the notion that if the only tool they have is a hammer, they treat employees like they are the nail.
• Leaders who abuse and misuse their power see the issues in their organization as having nothing at all to do with themselves. In their minds, they are protected from the idea that they are doing anything wrong. The blame lies outside of them, not with them.
• Effective leadership behavior uses skills from the continuum of directive behavior and supportive behavior. Both types of behavior are necessary and need to be used by leaders to achieve their desired outcomes. When leaders overuse the directive approach to leading based on what comes naturally to them, they become autocratic and overuse power to drive performance.
• To dismantle the Dysfunction of the Misuse and Abuse of Power, leaders need to learn different leadership approaches based on the needs of employees and the organization. They also need to develop emotional intelligence so that they are attuned to the needs of employees and not just those of the business. Utilizing some of the approaches outlined in our book "So, You Think You Can Lead" gives leaders the direction on how to break free of the automatic habits of the misuse of power, and actually start to embody effective leadership habits.

We all love the idea of the "cool boss". You know, the one who dresses casually, doesn't hassle us for timelines, and parties with us like he's just "one of us". Seems great, right? The problem is that the boss is trying so hard to be our friend, that we're never sure what's expected of us. This is the leader that suffers from the Peter Pan Syndrome. If you've never heard of it, think of all the qualities of Peter Pan - doesn't take responsibility, isn't there when you need them, just wants to have fun, and doesn't take issues seriously.

In today's episode, Anne & Heather explore the Dysfunction of Chaos (also known as the Peter Pan Syndrome), illustrate it by telling a client story that will be shocking because of how obvious and common this leadership behavior is and share what you can do if it is being acted out in your organization.

If you want to know more about Anne & Heather's work with dismantling dysfunctions in organizations and leadership behavior at Caliber Leadership Systems, check out:

https://dismantlingdysfunction.com

https://www.dranitsaris-hilliard.com

https://caliberleadership.com

Stop contributing to organizational dysfunction. Pick up your copy of So, You Think You Can Lead?: A Guide to Developing Your Leadership Authority and Potential

Make sure you sign up for our weekly newsletters for tips on how to dismantle dysfunction and develop your leaders: https://bit.ly/dismantlingdysfunction

Are you dealing with an organizational dysfunction you need help with? Or do you have a story you would like to share on our show? Contact us at [email protected].

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [01:40] Episode introduction and overview

• [02:51] What is the Peter Pan Syndrome (dysfunction of chaos?

• [12:38] Our client story experiencing the dysfunction of chaos

• [15:32] Root causes we identified that contributed to the dysfunction

• [19:42] Our approach to helping the client overcome the Peter Pan Syndrome

• [25:00] Outcomes and successes for our client

• [29:29] Episode gem & practical takeaway

• [30:42] Episode wrap up

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• The dysfunction of chaos is found in most entrepreneurial businesses and growth oriented organizations. The personality and work style of the leaders / founders are the major drivers of the organizational culture and the way the business is led and performance is managed is a laisse-faire fashion.

• Organizations that have experienced rapid growth and success without the implementation of systems that provide structure and role definition are extremely likely to experience the dysfunction of chaos.

• Peter Pan leaders deny the existence of issues and problems. They just act like nothing's a big deal. And when they find something challenging, they actually switch to something easier. It's easy to see how the chaos develops in an organization when the leaders are tolerating or avoiding the very things that need their attention.

• Sometimes leaders have to experience setbacks and consequences for them to slow down and get the help they need. Ask yourself, where do you or the leaders around you need help that you're not asking for, or ignoring that need altogether? Where is the organization getting stuck and the leaders not wanting to shift their approach and take responsibility? Identifying these will support you to reach out for the help you need, rather than staying stuck in the dysfunction of chaos.

There is nothing more frustrating for employees than a leader who thinks that because they are great with clients and at building the business, they are fantastic at leading people. These leaders whose inflated image of themselves blinds them, tend to create dysfunction around them – they don't set expectations and blame employees when they don't deliver; they don't create a vision and are angry when employees ask for one; or they complain about employee's negativity and lack of innovation not seeing their "My way is best" attitude kills engagement.

In today's episode, Anne & Heather explore the dysfunction of Unconscious Leadership Competence, illustrate it by telling an incredible client story, and share what you can do if it is being acted out in your organization.

If you want to know more about Anne & Heather's work with dismantling dysfunctions at Caliber Leadership Systems, check out:

https://dismantlingdysfunction.com

https://www.dranitsaris-hilliard.com

https://caliberleadership.com

Stop contributing to organizational dysfunction. Pick up your copy of So, You Think You Can Lead?: A Guide to Developing Your Leadership Authority and Potential

Make sure you sign up for our weekly newsletters for tips on how to dismantle dysfunction and develop your leaders: https://bit.ly/dismantlingdysfunction

Are you dealing with an organizational dysfunction you need help with? Or do you have a story you would like to share on our show? Contact us at [email protected].

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [01:22] Episode introduction and overview

• [02:18] What is the Dysfunction of Unconscious Leadership Competence

• [09:57] Client story of the Unconscious Leadership Competence Dysfunction

• [16:23] Our approach to helping the client overcome the dysfunction

• [23:18] Episode gem & practical takeaway

• [24:37] Episode wrap up

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Many leaders achieve business success in a functional leadership role and try to apply the same skills when they have to focus on the people side of leadership. They don't consider that one size doesn't fit all when it comes to engaging, leading, and developing people.

• Leaders who believe they are "great" are in the habit of blaming their direct reports for performance issues instead of setting clear expectations, holding employees accountable, coaching, reviewing and giving them important corrective feedback.

• Leaders that create this dysfunction believe that leaders are born and don't need development. To increase leadership effectiveness, leaders must shift from acting as though they are "great" leaders and become conscious of themselves, their behavior, and their emotions. Being objective about what is expected of them in their leadership role, what competencies they are effective at, and those they need to develop allows them to be on the path of fulfilling their leadership potential.

• If your senior leadership team resists development or refuse to deal with organizational dysfunctions, you must focus on closing the talent gap around them so that the business and next level leaders are protected.

Are your leaders constantly complaining and not doing anything about it? Do members of the leadership team gossip about each other, all the while, promoting the notion that they are a high-functioning team? These are just two of the many symptoms of organizational dysfunction our hosts Dr. Anne Dranitsaris & Heather Dranitsaris-Hilliard have seen over and over again when working with leaders in businesses of all sizes and complexities. In today's episode, they will continue their "dysfunction buffet" introducing three more of the most common dysfunctions they've worked with. They offer their insights into the root causes of dysfunctions and share examples of real-life client stories - including the good, the bad, and the ugly. They focus on the pain points of each dysfunction and how they brought client organizations from dysfunction to high-functioning.

If you want to know more about Anne & Heather's work with dismantling dysfunctions at Caliber Leadership Systems, check out:

https://www.dranitsaris-hilliard.com

https://caliberleadership.com

Stop contributing to organizational dysfunction. Pick up your copy of So, You Think You Can Lead?

Make sure you sign up for our newsletters for tips on how to dismantle dysfunction and develop your leaders: https://bit.ly/dismantlingdysfunction

Are you dealing with an organizational dysfunction you need help with? Contact us at [email protected].

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [00:00] Episode introduction and overview
• [03:08] A working definition of dysfunction
• [04:20] How to look at dysfunction holistically
• [05:43] The dysfunction of stagnation
• [08:29] Client examples of stagnation
• [11:29] The dysfunction of accountability
• [13:54] Client examples of accountability
• [16:34] The dysfunction of neglect
• [20:33] Client examples of neglect
• [25:18] Recap and what you can do starting now

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• When leaders fail to continue to grow the business, working instead to preserve the status quo, the Dysfunction of Stagnation (aka Stuck in the Weeds) is created. Leaders at the top work really hard to stay in their comfort zone, avoid change, and refuse to set goals. Their mindset stifles growth resulting in a demotivated workforce, loss of top performers and market share.
• Fear of being perceived negatively can cause leaders to create the Lack of Accountability Dysfunction (aka Employees Should Know). It is contributed to by leaders who want to be seen as caring, good leaders who don't micromanage. This leads to poor productivity, reduced quality and even bad behavior.
• Many left-brained dominant leaders cause the Dysfunction of Neglect (aka Not My Job) when they don't consider it their job to nurture and engage their employees. They focus almost exclusively on business outcomes rather than on their employees' needs. This creates a culture of fear, lack of bench strength and low employee retention.
• Leaders need emotional self-awareness, confidence and the ability to recognize and challenge their own fears to be effective and not create dysfunctions. If an organization is experiencing any type of dysfunction, leaders must take an holistic approach, which includes focusing on the needs of their people. They must also understand how meeting those needs will best meet the needs of the business.
• Leaders will try to distill the dysfunction down to one thing - one person, one issue, one system etc. as the reason behind it to make it seem smaller so that it's more manageable to deal with. They end up playing dysfunctional whack-a-mole, dealing with one symptom and then having another emerge.
• Leaders can start to dismantle the dysfunction by getting to know the needs of the people and really understanding how meeting those needs will best support the business to achieve its potential. Employees need something to aspire to, something to belong to, and an environment where their talents and unique contributions are cared for and nurtured.

Like most people, you've probably experienced the negative impact of one of the many dysfunctions that exist in organizations. In fact, you could be suffering from it right now because dysfunction is so commonplace. There are six key dysfunctions that our hosts Anne Dranitsaris & Heather Dranitsaris-Hilliard see over and over again when working with leaders in businesses of all sizes and complexities. In today's episode, they will bring three of these common dysfunctions to life by sharing real-life client stories - including the good, the bad, and the ugly. They focus on the pain points of each dysfunction and how they brought client organizations from dysfunction to high-functioning.

If you want to know more about Anne & Heather's work with dismantling dysfunctions at Caliber Leadership Systems, check out:

https://www.dranitsaris-hilliard.com

https://caliberleadership.com

So, You Think You Can Lead?: A Guide to Developing Your Leadership Authority and Potential

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Are you dealing with an organizational dysfunction you need help with? Or do you have a story you would like to share on our show? Contact us at [email protected].

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [00:00] Episode introduction and overview
• [02:48] A working definition of dysfunction
• [04:00] Looking at dysfunction holistically
• [06:59] The dysfunction of unconscious leadership competence
• [13:32] The dysfunction of chaos
• [20:46] The dysfunction of the misuse and abuse of power
• [26:59] What you can start doing today

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Not knowing how to lead and influence causes the Misuse and Abuse of Power Dysfunction (aka My Way or the Highway). This dysfunction, where leaders control the power and authority necessary to affect change and growth, centralizes power at the top, creating a bottleneck and disempowering employees.
• When leaders refuse to create systems and structure needed to sustain growth, they create the Dysfunction of Chaos, (aka Peter Pan Syndrome). Leaders don't want to be constrained by normal "grown up" workplace practices and create uncertainty and anxiety in employees.
• Self-deception and a lack of self-awareness leads to the Unconscious Leadership Competence Dysfunction (aka "I think, therefore I am.") where leaders think they're great leaders and don't need development, nor do they value or invest in their next level leaders, causing demotivated employees and a lack of bench strength.
• If you recognize any of the above organizational dysfunctions, make sure you don't mistake symptoms for the root cause. And don't look for a quick fix or the "right" person to get rid of the symptoms of your dysfunction. Instead, examine the context, the processes, and how the leaders are contributing.