If Humble People Make the Best Leaders, Why Do We Fall for Charismatic Narcissists?

by Margarita Mayo

The?research?is clear: when we choose humble, unassuming people as our leaders, the world around us becomes a better place.

研究結(jié)果很明確，當(dāng)人們選擇謙遜，不擺官架子的人當(dāng)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者，世界會更美好。

Humble leaders improve the performance of a company in the long run because they create more collaborative environments. They have a balanced view of themselves – both their virtues and shortcomings – and a strong appreciation of others’ strengths and contributions, while being open to new ideas and feedback. These “unsung heroes” help their believers to build their self-esteem, go beyond their expectations, and create a community that channels individual efforts into an organized group that works for the good of the collective.

從長期來看，謙遜的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者可以推動公司業(yè)績發(fā)展，因為他們能營造更加合作的氛圍。這種領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者對自我的看法也比較公正，不管優(yōu)點還是缺點都能正確看待，而且擅長發(fā)掘他人身上的長處和做出的貢獻(xiàn)，比較愿意接受新鮮想法和反饋。此類領(lǐng)導(dǎo)都是“無名英雄”，會幫助追隨者建立自信，表現(xiàn)超出預(yù)期，營造良好的團(tuán)隊氛圍，協(xié)助個人盡可能為公司貢獻(xiàn)力量。

For example,?one study?examined 105 small-to-medium-sized companies in the computer software and hardware industry in the United Studies. The findings revealed that when a humble CEO is at the helm of a firm, its top management team is?more likely to collaborate and share information, making the most of the firm’s talent.

舉個例子，一項對美國軟硬件行業(yè)105家中小企業(yè)的研究顯示，如果企業(yè)的CEO個性謙遜，高管團(tuán)隊更有可能精誠合作，共享信息，盡可能發(fā)揮人才的能量。

Another study showed that a leader’s humility can be?contagious: when leaders behave humbly, followers emulate their modest attitude and behavior. A study of 161 teams found that employees following humble leaders were themselves more likely to admit their mistakes and limitations, share the spotlight by deflecting praise to others, and be open to new ideas, advice, and feedback.

另一項研究顯示領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者的謙遜會感染他人：如果領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者行為低調(diào)，身邊的人也會模仿其態(tài)度和行為方式。還有一項對161個團(tuán)隊的研究顯示，跟著謙遜領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者的員工更愿意承認(rèn)自身不足和限制，也更愿意跟他人分享鮮花和掌聲，在接納新想法新建議和反饋意見方面也表現(xiàn)更好。

Yet instead of following the lead of these unsung heroes, we appear hardwired to search for superheroes: over-glorifying leaders who exude charisma.

然而人們并不是總愿意跟隨謙遜的無名英雄，而是更喜歡超級英雄：渾身散發(fā)個人魅力的自大型領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者。

The Greek word?Kharisma?means “divine gift,” and charisma is the quality of extraordinary charm, magnetism, and presence that makes a person capable of inspiring others with enthusiasm and devotion.?German sociologist?Max Weber defined charisma as “of divine origin or as exemplary, and on the basis of it, the individual concerned is treated as a leader.”?Research evidence?on charismatic leadership reveals that charismatic people are more likely to become endorsed as leaders because of their high energy, unconventional behavior, and heroic deeds.

魅力的希臘原文是Kharisma，意思是“神的禮物”，魅力的含義是極具風(fēng)度、個人吸引力，能感染其他人的熱情和投入。德國社會學(xué)家馬克思·韋伯（Max Weber）將魅力定義為“具有神圣根源或有表率作用，具備這些特質(zhì)的人會被當(dāng)成領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者?！标P(guān)于個人魅力型領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力的研究證據(jù)顯示，之所以個人魅力突出的人容易當(dāng)上領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者，是因為他們精力充沛，行為不拘泥于常規(guī)，且有英雄風(fēng)范。

While charisma is conductive to orchestrating positive large-scale transformations, there can be a “dark side” to charismatic leadership. Jay Conger and Rabindra Kanungo describe?it this way in their seminal?book:?“Charismatic leaders can be prone to extreme narcissism that leads them to promote highly self-serving and grandiose aims.” A?clinical study?illustrates that when charisma overlaps with narcissism, leaders tend to abuse their power and take advantage of their followers. Another?study?indicates that narcissistic leaders tend to present a bold vision of the future, and this?makes them more charismatic in the eyes of others.

魅力確實能產(chǎn)生影響力，大規(guī)模推動積極的轉(zhuǎn)變，但魅力型領(lǐng)導(dǎo)方式也有“陰暗面”。杰伊·康格（Jay Conger）和拉賓德拉·凱南格（Rabindra Kanungo）在著作中稱：“魅力型領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者容易陷入極端自戀，追求自私又不切實際的目標(biāo)?！迸R床試驗也顯示，當(dāng)魅力與自戀結(jié)合起來，領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者容易濫用權(quán)力，利用追隨者。另一項研究稱自戀型領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者傾向于大膽暢想將來，在他人眼中反而增加了魅力。

Why are such leaders more likely to rise to the top??One study?suggests that despite being perceived as arrogant, narcissistic individuals radiate “an image of a prototypically effective leader.” Narcissistic leaders know how to draw attention toward themselves. They enjoy the visibility. It takes time for people to see that these early signals of competence are not later realized, and that a leader’s narcissism reduces the exchange of information among team members and often negatively affects group performance.

為什么自戀型領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者更有可能升到高層？一項研究稱，雖然自戀的人看起來傲慢，往往也散發(fā)出“高效領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者形象?！弊詰傩皖I(lǐng)導(dǎo)者非常了解如何將吸引力轉(zhuǎn)移到自己身上。他們享受萬人矚目。人們要花很多時間才能領(lǐng)悟，看似適合領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者的素質(zhì)其實并不能一一兌現(xiàn)，而且領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者的自戀情緒會影響團(tuán)隊成員互相交流信息，導(dǎo)致業(yè)績下滑。

It’s not that charismatic and narcissistic people can’t ever make good leaders. In some circumstances, they can. For example, one study?found that?narcissistic CEOs “favor bold actions that attract attention, resulting in big wins or big losses.” A narcissistic leader thus can represent a high-risk, high-reward proposition.

并不是說魅力型和自戀型人就沒法成為優(yōu)秀的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者。某些情況下還是有可能的。舉個例子，一項研究顯示自戀型CEO“熱愛能吸引注意力的大膽舉動，結(jié)果不是大賺就是大賠?！币虼俗詰傩皖I(lǐng)導(dǎo)者比較適合高風(fēng)險高收益的任務(wù)。

And it’s not that humble leaders can’t ever be charismatic. Researchers agree that we could classify charismatic leaders as “negative” or “positive” by their orientation toward pursuing their self-interested goals versus those of their groups. These two sides of charismatic leadership have also been called?personalized?and?socialized?charisma. Although the?socialized?charismatic leader has the aura of a hero, it is counteracted with low authoritarianism and a genuine interest in the collective welfare. In contrast,?the?personalized?charismatic leader’s perceived heroism is coupled with high authoritarianism and high narcissism. It is when followers are confused and disoriented that they are more likely to form personalized relationships with a charismatic leader. Socialized relationships, on the other hand, are established by followers with a clear set of values who view the charismatic leader as a means to achieve collective action.

這也并不意味著謙遜的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者沒機會展現(xiàn)魅力。研究顯示我們可以通過傾向追求個人目標(biāo)還是以集體目標(biāo)為先，將魅力型領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者分為“消極型”或者“積極型”。這兩種領(lǐng)導(dǎo)魅力也可以稱為個人型和社會型魅力。雖然社會型魅力的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者也會散發(fā)英雄氣概，但由于不夠霸氣而且比較關(guān)注集體利益，英雄氣質(zhì)會受到削弱。與之相反，個人魅力型領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者的氣質(zhì)伴隨著極端獨裁和高度自戀。當(dāng)追隨者感覺困惑而且看不清方向時，比較容易孕育出個人魅力型英雄。另一方面，如果追隨者價值觀比較清晰，只將領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者的魅力當(dāng)成實現(xiàn)集體目標(biāo)的手段，就會選擇社會魅力型領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者。

The problem is that we select negative charismatic leaders much more frequently than in the limited situations where the risk they represent might pay off. Despite their grandiose view of themselves, low empathy, dominant orientation toward others, and strong sense of entitlement, their charisma proves irresistible. Followers of superheroes are enthralled by their showmanship: through their sheer magnetism, narcissistic leaders transform their environments into a competitive game in which their followers also become more self-centered, giving rise to organizational narcissism, as?one study?shows.

問題在于我們經(jīng)常會選出充滿消極型魅力的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者，實際上情況并沒有糟糕到需要這樣的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者拯救。雖然這種人總是高看自己，沒有同情心，對他人指手畫腳，還喜歡爭名奪利，但他們的魅力就是讓人難以抗拒。一項研究顯示，追隨者容易被超級英雄的氣場所折服：通過強大的吸引力，自戀型領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者可以將周邊改造為競爭游戲，追隨者也跟著變得以自我為中心，最后變成集體自戀。

If humble leaders are more effective than narcissistic leaders, why do we so often choose narcissistic individuals to lead us?

如果謙遜型領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者比自戀型領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者更加高效呢，為什么我們還會經(jīng)常選擇自戀的人領(lǐng)導(dǎo)我們？

The “romance of leadership” hypothesis suggests that we generally have a biased tendency to understand social events in terms of leadership and people tend to romanticize the figure of the leader.

“領(lǐng)導(dǎo)傳奇”假說認(rèn)為，人們看待社會事件時往往會高估領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人物的作用，而且傾向于用傳奇方式解讀領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人物的形象。

My own research?shows that our psychological states can also bias our perceptions of charismatic leaders. High levels of anxiety make us hungry for charisma. As a result, crises increase not only the search for charismatic leaders, but also our tendency to?perceive?charisma in the leaders we already follow.

我自己的研究顯示，人們的心理狀態(tài)也會導(dǎo)致對魅力型領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者的看法出現(xiàn)偏差。如果感到焦慮，會格外需要魅力十足的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者。結(jié)果是，危機中不僅會刺激人們尋找魅力型領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者，也會傾向于認(rèn)為現(xiàn)在跟隨的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者更有魅力。

Economic and social crises thus become a unique testing ground for charismatic leaders. They create conditions of distress and uncertainty that appear to be ideal for the ascent of charismatic figures. Yet at the same time, they also make us more vulnerable to choosing the wrong leader. Crises and other emotionally laden events increase our propensity to romanticize the grandiose view of narcissistic leaders. The paradox is that we may then choose to support the very leaders who are less likely to bring us success. In a time of crisis, it’s easy to be seduced by superheroes who could come and “rescue” us, but who possibly then plunge us into greater peril.

所以說，經(jīng)濟(jì)和社會危機都是魅力型領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者最好的測試場。危機中充滿各種痛苦和不確定性，非常適合充滿魅力的人物崛起。然而同時，人們也更有可能選出錯誤的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者。危機中，以及其他影響情緒的事件中，自戀型領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者不切實際的想象更容易受到人們的擁護(hù)。矛盾在于，這種情況下選出的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者帶領(lǐng)大家成功的機會有可能更低。危機中的人們?nèi)菀资艿匠売⑿矍皝怼罢缺娚钡恼f法誘惑，但實際上選出的人可能只會將大家?guī)敫诎档纳顪Y。

While this may sound hopeless, there is another way of looking at it. Essentially, we have the leaders we deserve. As we collectively select and construct our leaders to satisfy our own needs and desires, we?can choose?humility?or socialized charisma over narcissism.

聽起來可能有點令人絕望，但也可以換個角度看。本質(zhì)上，選出什么樣的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者，說明眾人就是配什么樣的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者。我們共同選擇擁護(hù)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者是為了滿足需要和愿望，所以完全可以選擇謙遜型或社會魅力型領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者，放棄自戀狂。

（時青靖 | 編輯）

瑪格麗特·梅約是馬德里IE商學(xué)院領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力和組織行為學(xué)教授。最近她入選50位思想家榜單，躋身2017年30位思想領(lǐng)導(dǎo)之列。她的新書《此致：領(lǐng)導(dǎo)工作和生活中如何面對真實的自己》（Yours Truly: How to Stay True to Your Authentic Self in Leadershipand Life）將于2018年由布魯姆斯伯里出版社出版。