Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership: Compulsive Leader

Moses was a compulsive leader, his need to control caused his father-in-law to re-arrange his case load. Moses also was prone to occasional outbursts of anger.

A compulsive leader:
• needs to maintain absolute order
• pursues perfection to the extreme
• live rigid, highly systematized daily routines that they must follow meticulously
• are status conscious, as such they seek to impress their superiors with their diligence and efficiency
• they continually look for the reassurance and approval of authority figures
• these pressures cause them to become workaholics
• they see staff as slackers if they don’t keep pace
• there is little room for spontaneity, even recreation and relaxation time is planned well in advance
• on the outside they are pictures of absolute order, on the inside they are an emotional powder keg
• this rigid personality can come from rigid childhood environments where unrealistic expectation were place on
• this repressed anger can suddenly erupt
• attempts to exercise and maintain control of their lives and environments are efforts to keep repressed anger, resentment, and rebellion from surfacing

Mark the following:
5 = strongly agree
4 = agree
3 = uncertain
2 = disagree
1 = strongly disagree

• I often worry that my superiors do not approve of the quality of my work.
• I am highly regimented in my daily personal routines such as exercise schedule or devotions.
• When circumstances dictate that I must interrupt my daily personal routines, I find myself out of sorts and feeling guilty for having “skipped” a day.
• I frequently find myself conscious of my status in relationship to others.
• It is difficult for me to take an unplanned day off from work responsibilities just to goof around or spend time with friends or family.
• While away from work, I still find myself thinking about work-related topics, often sitting down to write out my ideas in length even if it disrupts family activities.
• I like to plan the details of my vacations so that I don’t waste time.
• I often explode in anger after being cut off or irritated while driving or over petty issues.
• I am meticulous with my personal appearance, keeping shoes shined, clothes perfectly pressed, hair carefully cut and groomed, and fingernails always clipped.
• I frequently comment about the long hours I keep and my heavy workload.
• When others make sloppy errors or pay little attention to detail, I become annoyed and judge that person.
• I am obsessive about the smallest errors, worrying that they will reflect poorly on me.

Next week: The Narcissistic Leader