KFI CEO Intimidation

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CEO Insight

Intimidation works?

Managing through intimidation is an option reserved only for self-aware CEOs.

A statistical analysis of Korn Ferry’s leadership simulation assessments shows that CEOs—if they have a big dose of self-awareness— can be intimidating and even abrasive to create positive effect as a leader. Other senior executives can’t. This flies in the face of the dominant thinking in organizational psychology, which holds that intimidation is problematic for leaders.

What sets CEOs apart from other senior executives? Their focus? Confidence? Tolerance for stress? Add to any list this surprising item: CEOs can use intimidation and socially abrasive behavior in ways that elevate their overall performance as leaders. As companies and other organizations have become less and less hierarchical (DiMaggio 2001; Rajan and Wulf 2006), organizational psychologists and assessment developers generally have characterized the use of intimidation and excessive invocation of formal authority as serious problems for leaders (Benson and Campbell 2007). Of course CEOs have authority over their employees, but wielding it explicitly and boldly is usually associated with ineffective leadership. And yet some CEOs not only get away with authoritarian and intimidating behavior but find that it actually improves their performance. The key to which CEOs can use intimidation effectively is tied directly to the individuals’ level of self-awareness—or how much insight they have into their own behavior, motives, strengths, and weaknesses.1 Statistical analyses of performance data from comprehensive leadership simulations for 47 CEOs reveal just how big a role self-awareness plays. In fact, among highly self-aware CEOs, better leadership performance is associated with greater use of strategic intimidation.2 Not all CEOs get an intimidation performance bump. Authoritarian behavior paired with low self-awareness results in notable ineffectiveness—and gets worse as such CEOs become more intimidating (see Figure 1). In this paper both Intimidation and Self-Awareness were measured using scales of the same names from SHL’s Global Personality Inventory (GPI), owned by CEB.

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2 Korn Ferry models suggest that self-awareness levels anywhere above the arithmetic average of executives begin to transform the negative effects of intimidation into positive ones for CEOs.

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Figure 1

Leadership simulation assessments

Which CEOs gain from using intimidation?

CEOs with high self-awareness

High

Performance

CEOs with low self-awareness

Low Less

Use of intimidation

More

So what about those who aren’t CEO? Korn Ferry looked at the leadership simulation performances of 531 non-CEO executives3 to see whether they were able to use intimidation in the same way. They typically can’t (see Figure 2). Though increased self-awareness buoys leadership performance overall, being intimidating still drags down any executive but the CEO.

During Korn Ferry’s comprehensive performance simulation, executives are monitored while navigating complex business scenarios, including mock interviews, interactions with direct reports, and meetings with peers, superiors/board members, and external stakeholders. Synthesis of information such as technical reports and e-mail exchanges is also required and factors into performance in the mock meetings. Simulation results provide highly accurate predictors of executive performance (Goff 2014; Crandell 2011) which can be used to gauge a candidate’s leadership potential, determine readiness for a job, or identify specific areas of strength and developmental need.

3 This group included other C-suite executives, executive vice presidents, vice presidents, senior top functional executives, and senior top business unit executives.

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Figure 2 Intimidation damages performance for non-CEO exectutives.

Executives (not CEOs) with high self-awareness

High

Performance

Executives (not CEOs) with low self-awareness

Low Less

Use of intimidation

More

We should stop short, however, of concluding intimidation has something to do with why some individuals become CEO and others don’t. We don’t know whether an individual carries that trait throughout his or her career, or it emerges after assuming the CEO role. It is possible that being the top leader simply makes intimidation a more viable tactic, or that self-aware CEOs discern how and when intimidation works. On the other hand, CEOs are often noted for having a distinct commanding and compelling “presence” that may be connected to their ability to intimidate others effectively (Tobak 2012).4 This presence and the potential to intimidate effectively could indirectly factor into the CEO selection process. So, in sum, what makes CEOs different? They can make intimidating and socially abrasive behavior work for them, in defiance of conventional wisdom.

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I n fact many books and articles have been written concerning this “commanding presence,” and seminars and training programs are offered throughout the nation that appeal to one’s desire to develop this presence.

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References Benson, Michael J., and John P. Campbell. 2007. “To Be, or Not to Be, Linear: An Expanded Representation of Personality and its Relationship to Leadership Performance.” International Journal of Selection and Assessment 15 (2): 232-49. Crandell, Stuart. 2011. “Executive for a day.” Talent Management. Retrieved from http://talentmgt.com/articles/view/executive-for-a-day. DiMaggio, Paul. 2001. The Twenty-First-Century Firm: Changing Economic Organization in International Perspective. Princeton: Princeton University Press. Goff, Maynard. 2014. “An eye for talent: Korn Ferry simulation assessments are 96% above average in predicting on-the-job performance.” The Korn Ferry Institute. Rajan, Raghuram G., and Julie Wulf. 2006. “The Flattening Firm: Evidence from Panel Data on the Changing Nature of Corporate Hierarchies.” Review of Economics and Statistics 88 (4): 759-73. Tobak, Steve. 2012. “CEO Presence: Do You Have It?” CBS MoneyWatch. Feb. 15. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ceo-presencedo-you-have-it/.

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About the author James L. Lewis, PhD, is a Director of Research for the Korn Ferry Institute, based in Los Angeles. He trained as a social scientist and psychometrician and holds an MS in statistics from UCLA and a doctorate in educational psychology from UC Riverside.

About Korn Ferry At Korn Ferry, we design, build, attract and ignite talent. Since our inception, clients have trusted us to help recruit world-class leadership. Today, we are a single source for leadership and talent consulting services to empower businesses and leaders to reach their goals. Our solutions range from executive recruitment and leadership development programs, to enterprise learning, succession planning and recruitment process outsourcing (RPO).

About The Korn Ferry Institute The Korn Ferry Institute, our research and analytics arm, was established to share intelligence and expert points of view on talent and leadership. Through studies, books and a quarterly magazine, Briefings, we aim to increase understanding of how strategic talent decisions contribute to competitive advantage, growth and success. Visit www.kornferry.com for more information on Korn Ferry, and www.kornferryinstitute.com for articles, research and insights.

Š 2014 The Korn Ferry Institute

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