I am very worried about power “going to my head” due to the prevalence of the genius-to-folly syndrome among managers and leading executives. Many business leaders exhibit significant skillfulness when seeking power, but end up crashing and burning when they have secured it. As they pursue power, people change significantly. According to Kramer (2003), to attain power, people get rid of the behaviors and attitudes such as self-restraint, modesty, and prudence that they will require to maintain it. Individuals who fail to maintain power after attaining it share certain behaviors and characteristics. Another related trait of leaders who fail to maintain power is the belief that rules are for fools. The competitiveness of the corporate world and the winner-takes-all mentality tempts some leaders to bend the rules and take shortcuts that come to haunt them and end their careers.
The pursuit of power is also associated with a high price tag in terms of the sacrifices that people make to succeed in their careers. Some have left their families to pursue professional endeavors, which makes power a strong pleasure. Coupled with an over-inflated self-image, such leaders make fatal mistakes that cost them careers. Another trait of leaders who experience genius-to-folly syndrome is the propensity to associate themselves with subordinates who reinforce their distorted self-image (Pfeffer, 2010). Often, they lack someone to remind them of their weaknesses or mistakes because assistants act ingratiatingly to safeguard their jobs. Such behaviors make them prone to the errors of omission because they are constantly distracted by power.
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One of the traits that characterize leaders who fall victim to the genius-to-folly syndrome is the winner wants all attitude (Kramer, 2003). The corporate world is intensely competitive, and few people come out with a bigger share of the spoils. The winner-takes-all that is common in the corporate world leads to a winner-wants-all mentality. Therefore, the lack of moderation and introspection makes them vulnerable to unethical decision-making.
I will implement several measures to avoid this pitfall as I accumulate power. One strategy for maintaining power will be keeping my life simple. Power makes people get out of touch with reality, but by keeping things simple, one is able to avoid fatal over-confidence and an over-inflated self-image. The other strategy will acknowledge my weaknesses. Power tends to make someone invincible, which encourages others to punish them severely for their mistakes. Shining light on my weaknesses will convey vulnerability, but still show that I am in control.
Checking and rechecking information from subordinates and reevaluating my assumptions will be another measure to avoid losing power because I will be able to discover the truth. Based on my score on the dark triad traits, I belie that I have narcissistic tendencies. However, cross-checking information will prevent me from making decisions based on assumptions (Pfeffer, 2010). Paying attention to the smaller details will also be a strategy for preventing the sins of omission that characterize the genius-to-folly syndrome. It is usually the small missteps that lead to committing acts of folly. As people become powerful, they spend limited time checking their environments and the actions and thoughts of others. Paying attention enables a leader to see what lies ahead and forestall what might go wrong. Finally, I will reflect more on understanding myself because I may possess the genius-to-folly traits.
References
Kramer, R.M. (2003).The Harder They Fall. The Harvard Business Review.
Pfeffer, J. (2010). Power: why some people have it and others don’t . New York, NY: HarperBusiness.
