Paul PelletierProject management key note speaker, author, corporate lawyer, and executive| Paul Pelletier Consulting Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
The Atlantic (June 2015) features a fascinating article about whether it pays to be a jerk in business. After deeply exploring different perspectives, available research and presenting a very balanced essay, Jerry Useem concludes:
“To summarize: being a jerk is likely to fail you, at least in the long run, if it brings no spillover benefits to the group; if your professional transactions involve people you’ll have to deal with over and over again; if you stumble even once; and finally, if you lack the powerful charismatic aura of a Steve Jobs. Which is to say: being a jerk will fail most people most of the time.”
Does this help convince you that rudeness, disrespect and bullying aren’t a leadership style?
Useem, Jerry. The Atlantic Vol.315 – No. 5. June 2015 p. 48 – 58 “Why it Pays to Be a Jerk” Saving Changes...
arlene trimbleAssistant IT Director| Local GovernmentAlamo, Ca, United States
I agree! Rudeness, disrespect, and bullying are not leadership styles per se. These negative traits are have no space in any life space at all as it breeds negativity everywhere.
Being a successful leader connotes positivity - the ability to build and support people, teams, and the environment towards a common goal or good. Saving Changes...
Paul PelletierProject management key note speaker, author, corporate lawyer, and executive| Paul Pelletier Consulting Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Thanks for your comments Arlene. I wished you had a loud speaker to reach all PMs with that message! Saving Changes...
I view this topic from the perspective of leadership style. Task oriented leaders (get the job done at all costs) are less likely to be focused on whether they behave as jerks. Whereas relationship focused leaders are more likely to be sensitive to the impact their behavior has on their employees or project team members. In my reading of the available leadership research, the preponderance of evidence is against the jerks and in favor of those who have adult relationships with their employees. Saving Changes...
Paul PelletierProject management key note speaker, author, corporate lawyer, and executive| Paul Pelletier Consulting Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Thanks for your enlightened comments Mike. You're experiences align with the both the conclusions of the article's author and mine. Saving Changes...
Alankar KarpeProject and program management, Speaker and mentor | WiproBangalore, India
In today's objective leadership where what's achieved is measured at the end of day than how its achieved - being jerk in logical eyes could be seen 'Guy who gets things done' by the top management. The ethical approach should come top to bottom so that everyone knows what's expected out of them, so that everyone becomes aware that how is equally and sometimes more important that what's being done. Saving Changes...
Elizabeth HarrinDirector| RebelsGuideToPM.comLondon, England, United Kingdom
I didn't need convincing that this was a leadership style! It's poor business practice: I wouldn't recommend being a jerk to any of the PMs I mentor. Saving Changes...
Paul PelletierProject management key note speaker, author, corporate lawyer, and executive| Paul Pelletier Consulting Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Thanks for the new comments - what I'm very pleased to see is that you all understand the conundrum of the world of PM. With such a deep focus on results, PMs can easily become results-obsessed. It's easy to lose sight of ethics, leadership, respect and team when you're myopic.
It's time for both our profession and our organizations to adjust the focus and balance to ensure that both the results and how we lead and act in order to get the results are of equal importance. Saving Changes...
Simona BonghezManaging Partner| Colors in Projects ltdBucharest, Romania
I cannot agree more that rudeness, disrespect, and bullying are not leadership styles, as I'm firmly convinced that they will ruin any relationship in the long run.
However, there is another perspective that intrigues me. Somehow, characters with this type if attitude tend to attract people's indulgence, they are liked and some of them even have fans: you might remember JR Ewing (Dallas) or Ed, Edd & Eddy (cartoon characters and source of endless debates between my son and I).
Is this valid only for fiction scenarios, or does it apply to real-life situations as well? What are your thoughts on this? Saving Changes...
Joanna NewmanHead of Innovation and Transformation , Telecoms| VodafoneCholderton, United Kingdom
It never pays to break the platinum rule "Treat people how they want to be treated!"
Hopefully very few of us want to be treated like jerks!
Saving Changes...
Paul PelletierProject management key note speaker, author, corporate lawyer, and executive| Paul Pelletier Consulting Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Thanks for the great comments and a reminder about the platinum rule. Few people want to be treated like jerks - that is a given. Sadly, some don't follow the rule and thus we have problems in project management with workplace respect. Saving Changes...
