Manfred Kets de Vries - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Manfred Kets de Vries

International Coaching Psychology Review

PurposeWorkplace stress is becoming an acknowledged problem, and employee assistance programmes a... more PurposeWorkplace stress is becoming an acknowledged problem, and employee assistance programmes are widely invested into reducing workplace stress. However, there is still a group of people who are neglected: senior executives. There is a taboo among this group about admitting to overwhelming stress, as the executives themselves can consider it a sign of weakness. Executive coaches often pick up symptoms of underlying stress, including sleep deprivation, or substance abuse in leadership development programmes or executive coaching sessions. However, unless the coach is a trained stress expert, medical doctor, or psychotherapist, he or she may feel unequipped to help a senior executive deal with stress. This article introduces an interpretative protocol to gage senior executive stress to flag up potential stress issues and areas to be addressed in coaching or by health professionals.MethodsBased on a literature review on common workplace stress factors and symptoms, we identified fiv...

Internet Research, 2020

PurposeThe authors investigated how personality traits are associated with workplace technostress... more PurposeThe authors investigated how personality traits are associated with workplace technostress (perception of stressors related to the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs).Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected 95 self-rated and 336 observer-rated questionnaires using the personality audit and a shortened version of the technostress scale. To analyze relationships between personality dimensions and technostress, the authors applied partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThis study shows that in line with previous studies, self-esteem is negatively related to levels of technostress. Contrary to our expectations, conscientiousness is positively related to technostress. Finally, the gap between a person's self-ratings and observer ratings in all personality dimensions is positively associated with technostress.Practical implicationsThe authors showed that the experience of technostress varies significantly amongst indiv...

The Coaching Kaleidoscope, 2010

In this article, the theme of countertransference will be taken beyond the couch and applied to t... more In this article, the theme of countertransference will be taken beyond the couch and applied to the consultancy or coaching setting. How consultants or coaches can use themselves as a source of information when dealing with their clients will be explored-that is, how they can use their own reactions to help them interpret, in dyadic situations, what the client is trying to transmit to them. To aid in that purpose, the article will also touch on the concepts of transference and projective identification, concepts grounded in early mother-infant communication and essential to "listening with the third ear." Four forms of the transference-countertransference interface between coach/consultant and client will be presented in these pages. Suggestions will be offered regarding what coaches and consultants need to pay attention to when listening to their clients. In addition, dysfunctional communication patterns will be explored.

Using the locus of control construct, entrepreneurs were compared with managers and MBAs in three... more Using the locus of control construct, entrepreneurs were compared with managers and MBAs in three European countries. The data points out that Latins are significantly more internal than people from more Northern cultures, i.e., French entrepreneurs and managers have lower scores on the locus of control scale than those from the United Kingdom and Germany. No significant differences were found between the Germans and the British in each of the three occupational roles. The French MBAs had significantly lower scores than the British MBAs. In line with research findings from other studies, entrepreneurs in general were found to be more internal than the other two role occupants. Surprisingly, however, this was not the case for the French. It was hypothesized that the reason for such an anomaly could be a "Grandes Ecoles" effect, meaning that graduation from one of the elite schools in France, with the attendant privileges, creates a specific sense of control over one's e...

Frontiers in Psychology, 2021

Multisource feedback is important for leadership development and effectiveness. An important asse... more Multisource feedback is important for leadership development and effectiveness. An important asset of such feedback is that it provides information about the self-other agreement between leaders and observers. Self-other agreement relates to several positive individual, dyadic, and organizational outcomes. Given the increasingly intercultural context in organizations, it is imperative to understand whether and how cultural distance between leaders and observers relates to self-other agreement. We hypothesize that cultural distance within leader-observer dyads is negatively associated with self-other agreement. Moreover, we expect that this relationship is stronger for leader-superior than leader-subordinate dyads. We use a unique multi-cultural dataset of 7,778 leaders (52 nationalities) rated by 22,997 subordinates (56 nationalities) and 10,132 superiors (54 nationalities) to test our hypotheses. Results confirm that cultural distance is negatively associated with self-other agreem...

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2018

A chapter to be published in Mastering Executive Coaching (2018), Jonathan Passmore and Bryan Und... more A chapter to be published in Mastering Executive Coaching (2018), Jonathan Passmore and Bryan Underhill, (Eds.) Routledge When a leader's psychological make-up is problematic, it can have a serious contagious effect. If that is the case, the organization itself is in danger of becoming a mirror image of the leader's troublesome behavior patterns. Leadership coaches who have a deep understanding of personality functioning, and are familiar with the appropriate intervention techniques of dealing with these people, can help in addressing these mental health issues in order to bring about more effective leadership practices, and ultimately more healthy organizations. In this chapter, we explore four regularly encountered toxic behavior patterns amongst leaders that can derail their organizations. For each personality type, we describe the conditions underlying the behavior pattern, how to recognize the pattern, how to coach individuals who exhibit this pattern, as well as to provide a real live case study to illustrate how coaching can bring about better ways of running their organizations

Although leadership development programs are in high demand, research into their long-term outcom... more Although leadership development programs are in high demand, research into their long-term outcomes has been sparse. The main purpose of this article is to explore how a transformational leadership development program can affect the lives of its participants. We address three fundamental questions: (1) what do transformational leadership programs transform?, (2) how does the change process occur?, and (3) how are behavioral changes maintained over time? To set the stage for this research, we begin by looking at why executives attend leadership development programs. Subsequently, we present the results of an exploratory longitudinal outcome study of a leadership development program for senior executives. Changes are evaluated both quantitatively through test-retest results of a 360° survey across 12 key leadership dimensions, taken by 11 senior executives in 2005 and again in 2006. We also explore change qualitatively through semi-structured interviews with the executives in our sample. The results of this exploratory study show that, for one cohort of participants who have completed the program, individual 360° ratings one year post-program in several GELI dimensions have improved. Dimensions that show marked increase in ratings included rewarding and feedback and emotional intelligence-we posit that this indicates an enhanced level of self-awareness among participants. We identified several positive change factors mentioned consistently by participants in this program: involvement in group coaching; realistic action plans; acting out and experimenting with new behaviors; and follow-up partnerships in a learning community. We look at the best practices that enhance individual development and change, and discuss limitations of this study as well as implications for future research.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2015

Are sex and man's unconscious drive for survival keeping women locked out of the C-suite? Nobody ... more Are sex and man's unconscious drive for survival keeping women locked out of the C-suite? Nobody talks about sex in the boardroom. However, the dynamics between men and women are age eternal and hover above like a cloud, motivating individuals at both a conscious and an unconscious level. I recall one executive who recounted: "Whenever I have to deal with sexual desire, I can imagine a tragedy-in-the-making. I have been married quite a few times. Two of my wives I met at work. In both cases while we were working together on a project. At the time, I knew I was playing with fire. Now, looking back, I wonder were all my struggles with desire worth it?" Recalling many other conversations I have had with executives, this person is not an outlier. There are a large number of men like him who struggle under the sexual cloud in the workplace.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2010

Why, when they are challenging men's performance at every academic level in the developed world a... more Why, when they are challenging men's performance at every academic level in the developed world and, in spite of all the efforts made to avoid discriminatory practices, do women still fail to secure the top positions in the workplace? Why do they gravitate toward certain occupations? Given what we know about the differences between male and female functioning, is it not time to create inclusive, people-friendly organizations more appropriate to 21 st century? In this paper we try to give answers to these questions, deal with the issue whether the kinds of organizational structures and practices that attract women might also benefit men, and ask whether the male-oriented default position of organizational design has had its day.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2010

In this introduction to a book on leadership development, we argue that leaders in the 21 st cent... more In this introduction to a book on leadership development, we argue that leaders in the 21 st century need to recognize that building their organization's leadership capabilities is going to be a major differentiator for future success. We emphasize that organizations that do not have properly structured leadership development processes in place will be at a disadvantage. Organizations that take leadership development seriously outperform the competition. Furthermore, we also put forth that as the world is changing, leadership is no longer defined by what a single leader does (the "Great Man" trait theories) but by the ability to collaborate, motivate and to manage networks. In this day and age of highly diverse teams, matrix structures, and global organizations, the talent in network building is key to creating collaborative teams and a boundaryless organization. We suggest that due to the changing nature of organizations-a more distributed view of leadership will be needed thus shifting the focus from the traditional single leader to an intricate and complex web of leaders who possess a range of abilities and experiences necessary to ensure that the leadership function is carried out to the benefit of the wider organisation. From what we have learned from our own experience, we argue that the best approach to developing leaders is through various forms of self-assessment, action learning, and apprenticeship activities. Furthermore, with the emergence of the knowledge economy, we explore the fact that companies are now playing an increasingly active role in the continued education of their own workforce-one example being the creation of corporate universities. In this context, we also discuss the leadership development 'toolbox' that is needed to make leadership development activities a success. Some of the more commonly used tools in this toolbox include classroom lectures, leadership exercises, an outdoor adventure training, case analyses, simulations, and 360-degree evaluations (which is basically a technique involving the evaluation of leader by his/her boss, peers, subordinates and the leader himself/herself).

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2010

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2009

In this article, I explore subtle, mostly out-of-awareness dialogues between consultants and clie... more In this article, I explore subtle, mostly out-of-awareness dialogues between consultants and clients and highlight how consultants use themselves as an "instrument" when dealing with their clients-using their own reactions to help interpret what the client is trying to transmit to them. To deconstruct these dialogues, I touch on the meaning of transference and countertransference, processes originating from early mother-infant communication and essential to the ability "to listen with the third ear." I discuss four types of transference-countertransference interface between consultant and client and identify the indicators to which consultants need to pay attention when dealing with their clients. I also explore dysfunctional communication patterns.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2009

A working paper in the INSEAD Working Paper Series is intended as a means whereby a fac ulty rese... more A working paper in the INSEAD Working Paper Series is intended as a means whereby a fac ulty researcher's thoughts and findings may be communic ated to interested readers. The paper should be considered preliminary in nature and may require revision.

The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 1990

This paper starts with a review of the psychobiographical or psychohistorical approach to the stu... more This paper starts with a review of the psychobiographical or psychohistorical approach to the study of leadership. The advantages and disadvantages of this approach are discussed taking into consideration new theoretical advances in psychoanalytic theory. Particular attention is paid to the role of transference/countertransference in the relationship between researcher and subject. To illustrate how the clinical approach can help to deepen our understanding of leadership, a case study is presented of a "tragic hero" type of leader, Roberto Calvi, the late chairman of the Banco Ambrosiano. In this presentation attention will be paid to his inner theater, the clinical picture, and organizational dynamics.

Organizational Dynamics, 1993

Organizational Dynamics, 2010

Organizational Dynamics, 2008

Organizational Dynamics, 2007

The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 2004

The purpose of this paper is to describe the design of Global Leadership Life Inventory (GlobeInv... more The purpose of this paper is to describe the design of Global Leadership Life Inventory (GlobeInvent), a 360-degree leadership feedback instrument. This instrument is presently used in executive programmes to help identify the operational mode of individual executives. Proper use of this instrument enables the user to determinate those areas of leadership behaviour where improvement is needed. Because most studies pay attention only to the surface manifestations of leadership, most leadership feedback instruments, in turn, are not concerned with the psychodynamic processes that underlie leaders' character and behaviour. To address this gap, the GlobeInvent is based on a clinical orientation to the study of leadership. This approach provides a more complete analysis of the 'inner theatre' of leaders-that is, what makes them tick-as well as measuring the dynamic, two-way relationship between leaders and followers. The first step in designing the instrument was to pinpoint significant themes pertaining to exemplary leadership. To that end, semi-structured interviews with senior executives were held. The leadership dimensions that emerged from that process were then tested on an international sample of senior executives. Analysis of the data from the testing confirmed the existence of twelve robust dimensions with a high reliability and internal consistency. Because the GlobeInvent is a 360-degree feedback instrument, this article addresses differences between 'Self' scores and scores given by others ('Observers'), gender differences in scoring and the influence of nationality, management experience and age on test results. The implications of using such an instrument as a 360-degree feedback tool are reviewed, and suggestions for future research are offered.

International Coaching Psychology Review

PurposeWorkplace stress is becoming an acknowledged problem, and employee assistance programmes a... more PurposeWorkplace stress is becoming an acknowledged problem, and employee assistance programmes are widely invested into reducing workplace stress. However, there is still a group of people who are neglected: senior executives. There is a taboo among this group about admitting to overwhelming stress, as the executives themselves can consider it a sign of weakness. Executive coaches often pick up symptoms of underlying stress, including sleep deprivation, or substance abuse in leadership development programmes or executive coaching sessions. However, unless the coach is a trained stress expert, medical doctor, or psychotherapist, he or she may feel unequipped to help a senior executive deal with stress. This article introduces an interpretative protocol to gage senior executive stress to flag up potential stress issues and areas to be addressed in coaching or by health professionals.MethodsBased on a literature review on common workplace stress factors and symptoms, we identified fiv...

Internet Research, 2020

PurposeThe authors investigated how personality traits are associated with workplace technostress... more PurposeThe authors investigated how personality traits are associated with workplace technostress (perception of stressors related to the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs).Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected 95 self-rated and 336 observer-rated questionnaires using the personality audit and a shortened version of the technostress scale. To analyze relationships between personality dimensions and technostress, the authors applied partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThis study shows that in line with previous studies, self-esteem is negatively related to levels of technostress. Contrary to our expectations, conscientiousness is positively related to technostress. Finally, the gap between a person's self-ratings and observer ratings in all personality dimensions is positively associated with technostress.Practical implicationsThe authors showed that the experience of technostress varies significantly amongst indiv...

The Coaching Kaleidoscope, 2010

In this article, the theme of countertransference will be taken beyond the couch and applied to t... more In this article, the theme of countertransference will be taken beyond the couch and applied to the consultancy or coaching setting. How consultants or coaches can use themselves as a source of information when dealing with their clients will be explored-that is, how they can use their own reactions to help them interpret, in dyadic situations, what the client is trying to transmit to them. To aid in that purpose, the article will also touch on the concepts of transference and projective identification, concepts grounded in early mother-infant communication and essential to "listening with the third ear." Four forms of the transference-countertransference interface between coach/consultant and client will be presented in these pages. Suggestions will be offered regarding what coaches and consultants need to pay attention to when listening to their clients. In addition, dysfunctional communication patterns will be explored.

Using the locus of control construct, entrepreneurs were compared with managers and MBAs in three... more Using the locus of control construct, entrepreneurs were compared with managers and MBAs in three European countries. The data points out that Latins are significantly more internal than people from more Northern cultures, i.e., French entrepreneurs and managers have lower scores on the locus of control scale than those from the United Kingdom and Germany. No significant differences were found between the Germans and the British in each of the three occupational roles. The French MBAs had significantly lower scores than the British MBAs. In line with research findings from other studies, entrepreneurs in general were found to be more internal than the other two role occupants. Surprisingly, however, this was not the case for the French. It was hypothesized that the reason for such an anomaly could be a "Grandes Ecoles" effect, meaning that graduation from one of the elite schools in France, with the attendant privileges, creates a specific sense of control over one's e...

Frontiers in Psychology, 2021

Multisource feedback is important for leadership development and effectiveness. An important asse... more Multisource feedback is important for leadership development and effectiveness. An important asset of such feedback is that it provides information about the self-other agreement between leaders and observers. Self-other agreement relates to several positive individual, dyadic, and organizational outcomes. Given the increasingly intercultural context in organizations, it is imperative to understand whether and how cultural distance between leaders and observers relates to self-other agreement. We hypothesize that cultural distance within leader-observer dyads is negatively associated with self-other agreement. Moreover, we expect that this relationship is stronger for leader-superior than leader-subordinate dyads. We use a unique multi-cultural dataset of 7,778 leaders (52 nationalities) rated by 22,997 subordinates (56 nationalities) and 10,132 superiors (54 nationalities) to test our hypotheses. Results confirm that cultural distance is negatively associated with self-other agreem...

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2018

A chapter to be published in Mastering Executive Coaching (2018), Jonathan Passmore and Bryan Und... more A chapter to be published in Mastering Executive Coaching (2018), Jonathan Passmore and Bryan Underhill, (Eds.) Routledge When a leader's psychological make-up is problematic, it can have a serious contagious effect. If that is the case, the organization itself is in danger of becoming a mirror image of the leader's troublesome behavior patterns. Leadership coaches who have a deep understanding of personality functioning, and are familiar with the appropriate intervention techniques of dealing with these people, can help in addressing these mental health issues in order to bring about more effective leadership practices, and ultimately more healthy organizations. In this chapter, we explore four regularly encountered toxic behavior patterns amongst leaders that can derail their organizations. For each personality type, we describe the conditions underlying the behavior pattern, how to recognize the pattern, how to coach individuals who exhibit this pattern, as well as to provide a real live case study to illustrate how coaching can bring about better ways of running their organizations

Although leadership development programs are in high demand, research into their long-term outcom... more Although leadership development programs are in high demand, research into their long-term outcomes has been sparse. The main purpose of this article is to explore how a transformational leadership development program can affect the lives of its participants. We address three fundamental questions: (1) what do transformational leadership programs transform?, (2) how does the change process occur?, and (3) how are behavioral changes maintained over time? To set the stage for this research, we begin by looking at why executives attend leadership development programs. Subsequently, we present the results of an exploratory longitudinal outcome study of a leadership development program for senior executives. Changes are evaluated both quantitatively through test-retest results of a 360° survey across 12 key leadership dimensions, taken by 11 senior executives in 2005 and again in 2006. We also explore change qualitatively through semi-structured interviews with the executives in our sample. The results of this exploratory study show that, for one cohort of participants who have completed the program, individual 360° ratings one year post-program in several GELI dimensions have improved. Dimensions that show marked increase in ratings included rewarding and feedback and emotional intelligence-we posit that this indicates an enhanced level of self-awareness among participants. We identified several positive change factors mentioned consistently by participants in this program: involvement in group coaching; realistic action plans; acting out and experimenting with new behaviors; and follow-up partnerships in a learning community. We look at the best practices that enhance individual development and change, and discuss limitations of this study as well as implications for future research.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2015

Are sex and man's unconscious drive for survival keeping women locked out of the C-suite? Nobody ... more Are sex and man's unconscious drive for survival keeping women locked out of the C-suite? Nobody talks about sex in the boardroom. However, the dynamics between men and women are age eternal and hover above like a cloud, motivating individuals at both a conscious and an unconscious level. I recall one executive who recounted: "Whenever I have to deal with sexual desire, I can imagine a tragedy-in-the-making. I have been married quite a few times. Two of my wives I met at work. In both cases while we were working together on a project. At the time, I knew I was playing with fire. Now, looking back, I wonder were all my struggles with desire worth it?" Recalling many other conversations I have had with executives, this person is not an outlier. There are a large number of men like him who struggle under the sexual cloud in the workplace.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2010

Why, when they are challenging men's performance at every academic level in the developed world a... more Why, when they are challenging men's performance at every academic level in the developed world and, in spite of all the efforts made to avoid discriminatory practices, do women still fail to secure the top positions in the workplace? Why do they gravitate toward certain occupations? Given what we know about the differences between male and female functioning, is it not time to create inclusive, people-friendly organizations more appropriate to 21 st century? In this paper we try to give answers to these questions, deal with the issue whether the kinds of organizational structures and practices that attract women might also benefit men, and ask whether the male-oriented default position of organizational design has had its day.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2010

In this introduction to a book on leadership development, we argue that leaders in the 21 st cent... more In this introduction to a book on leadership development, we argue that leaders in the 21 st century need to recognize that building their organization's leadership capabilities is going to be a major differentiator for future success. We emphasize that organizations that do not have properly structured leadership development processes in place will be at a disadvantage. Organizations that take leadership development seriously outperform the competition. Furthermore, we also put forth that as the world is changing, leadership is no longer defined by what a single leader does (the "Great Man" trait theories) but by the ability to collaborate, motivate and to manage networks. In this day and age of highly diverse teams, matrix structures, and global organizations, the talent in network building is key to creating collaborative teams and a boundaryless organization. We suggest that due to the changing nature of organizations-a more distributed view of leadership will be needed thus shifting the focus from the traditional single leader to an intricate and complex web of leaders who possess a range of abilities and experiences necessary to ensure that the leadership function is carried out to the benefit of the wider organisation. From what we have learned from our own experience, we argue that the best approach to developing leaders is through various forms of self-assessment, action learning, and apprenticeship activities. Furthermore, with the emergence of the knowledge economy, we explore the fact that companies are now playing an increasingly active role in the continued education of their own workforce-one example being the creation of corporate universities. In this context, we also discuss the leadership development 'toolbox' that is needed to make leadership development activities a success. Some of the more commonly used tools in this toolbox include classroom lectures, leadership exercises, an outdoor adventure training, case analyses, simulations, and 360-degree evaluations (which is basically a technique involving the evaluation of leader by his/her boss, peers, subordinates and the leader himself/herself).

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2010

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2009

In this article, I explore subtle, mostly out-of-awareness dialogues between consultants and clie... more In this article, I explore subtle, mostly out-of-awareness dialogues between consultants and clients and highlight how consultants use themselves as an "instrument" when dealing with their clients-using their own reactions to help interpret what the client is trying to transmit to them. To deconstruct these dialogues, I touch on the meaning of transference and countertransference, processes originating from early mother-infant communication and essential to the ability "to listen with the third ear." I discuss four types of transference-countertransference interface between consultant and client and identify the indicators to which consultants need to pay attention when dealing with their clients. I also explore dysfunctional communication patterns.

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2009

A working paper in the INSEAD Working Paper Series is intended as a means whereby a fac ulty rese... more A working paper in the INSEAD Working Paper Series is intended as a means whereby a fac ulty researcher's thoughts and findings may be communic ated to interested readers. The paper should be considered preliminary in nature and may require revision.

The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 1990

This paper starts with a review of the psychobiographical or psychohistorical approach to the stu... more This paper starts with a review of the psychobiographical or psychohistorical approach to the study of leadership. The advantages and disadvantages of this approach are discussed taking into consideration new theoretical advances in psychoanalytic theory. Particular attention is paid to the role of transference/countertransference in the relationship between researcher and subject. To illustrate how the clinical approach can help to deepen our understanding of leadership, a case study is presented of a "tragic hero" type of leader, Roberto Calvi, the late chairman of the Banco Ambrosiano. In this presentation attention will be paid to his inner theater, the clinical picture, and organizational dynamics.

Organizational Dynamics, 1993

Organizational Dynamics, 2010

Organizational Dynamics, 2008

Organizational Dynamics, 2007

The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 2004

The purpose of this paper is to describe the design of Global Leadership Life Inventory (GlobeInv... more The purpose of this paper is to describe the design of Global Leadership Life Inventory (GlobeInvent), a 360-degree leadership feedback instrument. This instrument is presently used in executive programmes to help identify the operational mode of individual executives. Proper use of this instrument enables the user to determinate those areas of leadership behaviour where improvement is needed. Because most studies pay attention only to the surface manifestations of leadership, most leadership feedback instruments, in turn, are not concerned with the psychodynamic processes that underlie leaders' character and behaviour. To address this gap, the GlobeInvent is based on a clinical orientation to the study of leadership. This approach provides a more complete analysis of the 'inner theatre' of leaders-that is, what makes them tick-as well as measuring the dynamic, two-way relationship between leaders and followers. The first step in designing the instrument was to pinpoint significant themes pertaining to exemplary leadership. To that end, semi-structured interviews with senior executives were held. The leadership dimensions that emerged from that process were then tested on an international sample of senior executives. Analysis of the data from the testing confirmed the existence of twelve robust dimensions with a high reliability and internal consistency. Because the GlobeInvent is a 360-degree feedback instrument, this article addresses differences between 'Self' scores and scores given by others ('Observers'), gender differences in scoring and the influence of nationality, management experience and age on test results. The implications of using such an instrument as a 360-degree feedback tool are reviewed, and suggestions for future research are offered.