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You cannot go into any airport bookstore and not find a book on leadership. If you go to Amazon and search leadership you will not find an empty search. So what is it about leadership that motivates authors to write endless books on the subject matter. in its basic form, leadership is essential to human existence. So much so that people like Scott Adams have made a living on providing comic depictions about it.\u00a0 Most business professionals have found comic relief in a Dilbert comic. Many of the comics do\u00a0 provide a realistic depiction of everyday office life for some people. Unfortunately, while it provides humor, the reality of what takes place daily for many of those leaders is not a joking matter. For many, the pressures and sacrifices of those leaders can become easily detrimental to themselves and to their organization. The perceived expectations placed on leaders in organizations causes them to navigate their path based on what they think is needed to lead successfully. One can agree that leadership does require a sense of empathy as well as energy. Without holding both of those in tandem leaders tend to become apathetic emotionally to what is taking place.\u00a0 Sadly, there are many leaders today that can\u00a0 be defined as \u201cdead\u201d. These leaders being \u201cdead within\u201d struggle to connect emotionally with what is taking place within their own experiences and their organizations. In the book The Leadership Mystique\u00a0<\/em>, Manfred Kets De Vries describes two detriminal type of syndromes that are apparent in many leaders : Alexithymia and Anhedonia. \u00a0The author describes these as something that can be considered serious psychiatric syndromes.<\/p>\n Leaders who have Alexithymia are unable to respond emotionally to any experience. They choose a mechanical (concrete and objective) and not an emotional intelligent response to handling conflict. \u201cAlexithymics struggle, with varied success, to understand their emotions and moods, and they\u2019re incapable of perceiving the subtleties of either. Because they\u2019re not sure what they feel, they also have difficulty expressing affect. Instead of showing an emotional reaction, they focus on physical problems<\/em>.\u201d[1]\u00a0\u00a0Kets De Vries says that many leaders who exude this syndrome do so as a result of their work environment. He notes examples from insurance and banks as environment that suppresses emotions. Yes I agree that concreteness and objectives do drive decision making in these industries; however working for a financial institution, I have witnessed that our executives have become more\u00a0 aware of their emotional intelligence. Is that innate to their role and function? No, traditionally it may not be the case but our executives have been awaken to the importance of not only their emotional intelligence but the downstream impact of how their adoption permeates throughout our organization.<\/p>\n Going beyond the mechanics,\u00a0 Anhedonia is a more detached perspective on life. He writes\u201cAnhedonics feel a pervasive sense of apathy and a loss of interest in (and withdrawal from) all regular and formerly pleasurable activities; they\u2019re all but dead inside. They\u2019re unwilling to seek out new sensations, they have diminished attentional function, and they lack a zest for life.\u201d<\/em>[2] Despite the horrific reality of this discussion,\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>there is good news! Being a “dead fish” as he would call it is not a hopeless diagnosis.\u00a0Resurrecting dead leaders can occur but it will involve two things: a sense of flow and small wins.\u00a0 \u00a0As sense of flow provides a challenge which gives the leader an opportunity to grow and learn. Small wins invigorate the leader because it allows for small milestones and goals to be set. With implementation of these goals they enable not only feedback but accomplishment as the full process unfolds. I have found in my own work experience that I work best when I am fully challenged. I am a goal setter and I encourage my team as we move forward to not just celebrate the larger accomplishments but to take joy in the small wins. As a team it is the small wins the fuel the motivation to keep everyone angaged and moving forward.<\/p>\n While these diagnosis are not something I would assert for all leaders who may appear to lack a zest or those who are more analytical and strategic in nature, I wonder how many fall in this bucket and are unaware? The pressures of leadership do not always give way to growth and personal development (although they should!). The chase for success can cause a leader to forsake connections with family and friends in order to reach their goal. This in my opinion should not be overlooked nor an options that is accepted or encouraged. Kets De Vries would assert that a lack of balance between home and professional life will eventually take its toll on the leader. Maintaining that balance is important. The path to revitalizing a “dead fish” is not simple. It requires an awareness and awakening that invokes transformation. Some will follow the status quo but for those who seek to move beyond it and apply the effort to change, there is hope for those enterprises to grow and flourish under their leadership.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n .<\/p>\n <\/p>\n