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Walking Through Quicksand -
Avoiding the Harvey Weinstein Syndrome
During the last two weeks, we have been bombarded by the derailment of Harvey Weinstein. I remember yearly camera shots of Weinstein. I thought at the time that he appeared imperially self-confident and exceptionally arrogant. We have now heard of numerous woman who have been victims of his omnipotence, arrogance, and belief that the rules don't apply to him. The result is a meteoric derailment of a very successful career.
Weinstein is an excellent teacher for any leader or individual who wants to avoid becoming a professional train wreck. Weinstein lost everything. They say that it takes 20 years to become an overnight success. I would add, it takes overnight to derail a career.
So, what are the lessons we can learn from the Weinstein story? Weinstein taught us that unbridled arrogance and omnipotence can only lead to destruction.
Here is a list of lessons learned from Weinstein's failure that could prevent the possibility of your career or organization derailing:
- Stop and think. You need an "intermediary" thought between impulse and behavior. We all react to situations because of our survival mechanisms. Impulses have their place. Weinsteiin was not able to say to himself "stop and think" before acting or reacting.
- Reality, not always pleasure. Freud coined the concept of the "reality principle versus the pleasure principle" that compels people to either defer or give in to immediate gratification. Reality is the concept of consequences. Weinstein's impulses were controlled by the need for pleasure while disregarding the reality of consequence. Ask yourself if your behavior is controlled by the "pleasure principle" or the "reality principle."
- Arrogance Precedes the Fall. The number one reason leaders, businesses, and careers fail is because of arrogance. Arrogance is the mental state whereby an individual believes they are immune from consequence and the rules don't apply. There is such a fine line between being self-confident and being arrogant. Continually ask yourself "Am I coming across as self-confident or arrogant? Humble yourself and seek feedback from others.
- Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Omnipotence is defined as the force of agency of unlimited power. Weinstein seemed to believe in unfettered omnipotence. Instead of using his power for good he used his omnipotence for manipulation. The result was his power imploded - because enfettered omnipotence is blinding and creates a skewed sense of reality that one is a god instead of a mortal. Reflect on your power. How do you use your power?
Respecting others is the prerequisite for self-respect. By respecting the boundaries and wishes of others, relationships are enhanced, deepened, and protected. Where there is disrespect, other people become defensive, anger is detonated, and distancing is inevitable.
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Why Ceo's Fail: The 11 Behaviors That Can Derail Your Climb to the Top and
How to Manage Them
by David L Dotlich and Peter C. Cairo.
My belief is that we learn by our mistakes and the mistakes of others. The authors describe 11 behaviors that when unchecked can derail a leader, or in fact anyone, from their current and future success. When thinking about Weinstein, 3 of the eleven behaviors seem the most prominent as contributing to the demise of his career and business.
The first is
arrogance. According to the authors, "arrogance is a treatable disease." The authors suggest determining if you fit the arrogance profile. Find truth tellers and ask them to level with you, use setbacks as an opportunity to cross from arrogance to humility before a big failure hits.
The second is
melodrama, which the authors described as behavior where the person needs to be the center of attention. The authors suggest that to become less melodramatic, dial down the volume by having someone video tape you. While looking at the video ask yourself ask, "Am I dominating and not engaging and is the audience really with me?" Also, determine what situations cause you to become more flamboyant and animated than needed.
The third is
mischievousness or the belief that the rules are meant to be broken. The authors list warning signs that may apply to someone who might be in danger of derailing due to mischievousness. The danger signs include: people questioning your commitments and projects that are started but not finished, not taking the time to win people over, and often finding yourself finessing your mistakes instead of taking responsibility.
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Leading Research -
Arrogance: A Formula for Failure
A landmark study on arrogance was conducted by Stan Silverman titled "Arrogance: A Formula for Failure" at the University of Akron.
Silverman and his colleagues found that the more arrogant you are, the more-self centered and less agreeable you are likely to be. Most important, the research showed that there appears to be s a strong relationship between arrogance and job performance.
The study showed that arrogance was negatively related to performance and cognitive ability.
Not only do arrogant employees have poor task performance but they also do not engage in citizen behaviors that cultivate positive social climates at work. Instead, arrogant behaviors likely cultivate poisonous social climates. Employees who act superior in actuality have inferior performance.
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- Hiring for "fit" into your culture is the strongest deterrent for avoiding derailment in a leader or star performer.
- When making a decision to join an organization ask yourself, "Do I "fit" and can I be excellent in the job?"
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COACH'S NOTE
Stay humble and open. Don't try to walk on quicksand.
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Solving People and Management Issues
The Heller Group focuses on coaching for senior level executives. We facilitate change within an organization that results in more effective leadership, increased productivity, innovative thinking, and improved employee morale and retention.
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Dr. Bruce Heller
Dr. Bruce Heller, founder of The Heller Group, Inc., has over 20 years experience consulting with managers and executives on executive education, leadership development, and organizational.
He is an adjunct professor at Southwestern Law School.
Dr. Heller is a consulting psychologist and member of the American Psychological Association Consulting Psychology Division. Dr. Heller holds a Ph.D. and Masters Degree in Education from the University of Southern California.
Dr. Heller is the author of The Prodigal Executive-How to Coach Executives Too Painful to Keep, Too Valuable to Fire.
Read the book.
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