Leadership: The Wounded Organization | Allan Bonner Communications Management Inc.

Some academic researchers have found it useful to conduct critiques of emotional and cultural aspects of organizations and policy making. This type of work supports the notion that a wounded leader may influence the personality of his organization and its behaviour. Wounded leaders may bring with them what has been described as a huge “well of fear” that fuels the abusive behaviour of adults. This may also fuel the behaviour of their corporations.

These researchers have drawn parallels between personality and corporate culture. Few harried husbands, fathers or wounded leaders would fail to identify with the “trick-cyclists, keeping upright and steady simply because they move forward  so quickly”[i]. If a leader or corporation is not moving forward, fearful stagnation might result. Worse yet, a pause might result in self-examination and coming to terms with the wounds.

Fear generated by childhood abuse and self-doubt plays a larger, but unrecognized, role in the emergence and shaping of social, economic, cultural, and political structures. Fear may blind us to ways of making clear, life-enhancing decisions and being constructive. In addition, it may cause the passing on of hurts and fears to co-workers and even entire organizations. Conversely, a person who has been supported and whose nature has been confirmed will act constructively, not destructively. Nor, it seems evident, would this person build an organization that acts destructively.

Studies cite the dangers of getting “the testosterone flowing” to the detriment of the organization. Wounded leaders seem to treat corporate mergers and acquisitions as some sort of life-or-death military operation. Military and macho terminology are common. One company called its teams working on  due diligence “Commando Squads”. Team members were presented with 18-inch bowie knives engraved with their names, as well as the name of the target organization. While no doubt an extreme manifestation, this macho trophy would seem to suit many senior men in business.

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[i] Maguire, John, “The Tears Inside The Stone: Reflections on the Ecology of Fear”, in Scott Lash, Bronislaw Szerszynski & Brian Wynne, (eds), Risk, Environment & Modernity, London: Sage Publications, 1996.)