Whoever wants to focus more closely on the psychology of leadership, its temptations, pictures, motives and expectations, should consider reading the book with the provocative title “Leaders, Fools and Impostors" by Kets de Vries. The author, professor at INSEAD in Fontainebleau, explores in particular the interaction of expectations between leaders and their employees as well as the influences of power on the personality of the leader.
Leadership development
This book is based on the reflections of the author’s own experiences taken from his consulting processes with leaders and findings from psychoanalysis.
The book can be broken down into three areas: Basic problems of leadership in the conflicting fields of power and influence, their effects on the personality of leaders and finally some ideas on how successful leadership can succeed.
This book is worth reading from our point of view because it points out psychodynamic principles far away from general management trends that influence our so-called business world on a daily basis. To understand the dynamics and thus be introduced to the secrets of power and influence up to the abuse of power, is not only rewarding for leaders themselves, but also for management consultants and those responsible for HR who are able to positively mould systems and structures in organisations by taking into account the internal psychodynamic processes.