Chapter 2: Destructive Leadership: The Role of Cognitive Processes

The influence of leaders may be felt within an organization or across boundaries and may endure long after they have left power. Leaders may act in ways that create changes in organizations or societies that facilitate prosperity or they may seek to change organizations or societies to promote their own personal agendas and move their inner circles toward advancement. Therefore, leaders have great potential for using their power for positive or negative purposes (Strange & Mumford, 2002). In this chapter, we will explore dispositional and situational factors and their subsequent influence on cognitive processes that may allow a leader to act destructively. Dispositional factors include cognitive processes such as the manner that a leader gathers information, interprets it, and makes decisions to influence those around him or her. Situational factors include follower actions and the environment. In essence we will seek to explain under what conditions leaders behave destructively. These factors will be discussed using a model of leader cognition. Activities leaders engage in such as environmental scanning and monitoring models will be discussed along with how conditions for cognition can influence decisions made and actions taken. Throughout the chapter we will discuss the motives behind these destructive actions. Destructive actions can take many forms and exist at varying degrees so to start we must have a clear understanding of destructive leadership.