The Problems With the Cult of Leadership

The Art of Manliness

Society & Culture, Education, Philosophy

4.7 • 14.5K Ratings

🗓️ 14 October 2024

⏱️ 35 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Are leaders born or made? Judging by the 50 billion dollar leadership development industry, the answer is definitely the latter. From schools to workplaces, everyone is seen as a potential leader and expected to become one by undergoing leadership training. My guest questions the assumptions underlying this phenomenon, which he calls "the leadership industrial complex," and says that the cult of leadership, and its idea that everyone can and should become a leader, can create burnout and unhappiness. Elias Aboujaoude is a Stanford professor of psychiatry and the author of A Leader's Destiny: Why Psychology, Personality, and Character Make All the Difference. Today on the show, Elias describes the state of the leadership industrial complex, the mathematical impossibility it forwards that everyone can be a leader and no one is a follower, and the primary presumption it makes that leadership can be taught. Elias argues that, in fact, a lot of what makes for good leadership is innate and potentially unchangeable. We discuss the implications of this fact, and why it's actually okay not to want to be a leader.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Brett McKay here and welcome to another edition of the Art of Manliness
0:10.4	Podcast are leaders born or made judging by the 50 billion Manliness Podcast. Our Leaders Born or Made.
0:14.0	Judging by the $50 billion leadership development industry, the answer is definitely the latter.
0:19.0	From schools to workplaces, everyone is seen as a potential leader and expected to become one by undergoing
0:24.3	leadership training. My guest questions the assumptions underlying this
0:27.5	phenomenon which he calls the leadership industrial complex and says that the cult of
0:32.2	leadership in its idea that everyone can and
0:34.5	should become a leader can create burnout and unhappiness. Elias Abujade is a
0:39.0	Stanford professor of psychiatry and the author of a leader's destiny, why psychology, personality, and character make all the difference.
0:46.2	Tain the show, Elias describes the state of the leadership industrial complex, mathematical and possibility it forwards that everyone can be a leader and known as a follower,
0:54.0	and the primary presumption it makes that leadership can be taught.
0:57.0	Elias argues that, in fact, a lot of what makes for good leadership is innate and potentially unchangeable.
1:02.0	We discuss the implications of this fact and why it's actually okay. leadership is innate and potentially unchangeable.
1:02.6	We discuss the implications of this fact and why it's actually okay not to want to be a leader.
1:07.0	After shows over check at our show notes at AIM.IS slash leadership. ownership.
1:13.0	All right,
1:15.0	All right,
1:16.0	And,
1:17.0	and
1:18.0	and
1:22.0	all right, Eliza Abujade, welcome to the show.
1:26.0	Thank you very much.
	...

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