Welcome back to the Look and Sound of Leadership, an ongoing series of

executive coaching tips designed to help you be perceived in the workplace the

way you want to be perceived. I'm Tom Henschel, your executive coach, and today

we're talking about the disruptive executive. This is part one of a two-part

podcast.

Shauna wanted me to coach one of her direct reports named Marina. I ended up doing that, but in an unusual move,

I also ended up coaching Shauna about how to manage Marina.

Here's why.

Shauna told me Marina's expertise was unique and valuable. But she's defensive and combative, she added. When she doesn't

get her way, she can hold the whole department hostage. Her direct reports are afraid of her.

Heck, Tom, there are times when I'm afraid of her.

I've told her she needs to improve her relationships,

but nothing's improving.

In fact, when I talk to her about her behavior,

everything seems to get worse.

I told Shauna... Everything seems to get worse.

I told Shauna that Marina seemed to fit a category of leaders I call

disruptive executives who are particularly difficult to manage.

Disruptive executives take many different forms,

bullies, obstructionists, catastrophizers,

self-aggrandizers, to name just a few. But whatever their style of disruption,

they seem to share four traits. First, their perception of themselves is very different from the perception

...