JUSTICE MALALA: Why ego and narcissism rule
But not all is lost, as Merkel and the young leaders of France and Canada show the kind of leadership the world needs now
Well, that was quick. The end of so-called "servant leadership", I mean. Remember just a few years ago when everyone was talking about how we were all going to abandon the ego and embrace a philosophy in which leaders aimed to serve? Those were the days! My friends with high-powered corporate jobs would regale me with stories about their bosses. "Me, me, me," one of them told me, describing his CEO’s general state of mind, at home and at the office. "It’s all about him." Then the transformation after the boss spent a few weeks on a leadership course: "Oh my, the man is the Dalai Lama now!" It was amazing. Political leaders across the globe were seen walking around reading Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk To Freedom, trying to become as saintly as the great man. Tech CEOs listened intently to the words of people like former US president Barack Obama and nodded sagely about an inclusive new world. It hasn’t lasted. The ego and narcissism are back. We are seeing toxic leadership all over the...
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