Download Lecture 12 – Psychodynamic Approach

ADM 612 - Leadership
Lecture 12 – Psychodynamic
Approach
Introduction
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Features bits and pieces drawn from
several scholars and practitioners.
Several fundamental propositions.
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Leaders are more effective when they
understand their own psychological makeup.
Leaders are more effective when they
understand the psychological makeup of their
supporters.
Introduction
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To summarize, the psychodynamic approach
places emphasis on leaders’ obtaining insight into
their personality characteristics and understanding
the responses of subordinates, based on their
personalities.
Secondarily, leaders should encourage group
members to gain insight into their personalities so
that they can understand their reactions to the
leader and to each other.
Background
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Insight begins with an examination of the
roots of the individual in the family.
Parents become our leaders for a few
years. They create deep-seated feelings
about leadership.
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Paternalistic.
Maternalistic.
Familial.
Background
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Some people respond to authority
figures, some rebel.
Key to effective leadership is
understanding one’s own personality
and the personalities of followers.
Background
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Psychodynamic approach draws on
Sigmund Freud and Karl Jung.
Concepts of Psychodynamic
Approach
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Family of origin.
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Role of parent to socialize child into society.
Child begins life as very self-centered. Parent
must meet needs of child
Complete mutual interdependence.
Leadership: paternalistic or maternalistic
management – complete interdependence.
Concepts of Psychodynamic
Approach
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Maturation or individuation.
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As time goes on, child becomes more independent of parent.
However, properly socialized child carries “parent within” –
conscience.
Two key issues:
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Responses to authoritarian leaders: dependent on authoritarian or
laissez-faire parents. Reactions not rational.
Intimacy and openness: from kindness to distance based on parental
upbringing. All adults tend to one or the other.
As leaders and followers, people range from authoritarian to
permissive and from nurturing to critical and everything in
between.
Concepts of Psychodynamic
Approach
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Dependence and Independence.
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Leader’s style reflects parental upbringing. May
adopt style of parent (authoritarian or
permissive) or adopt the opposite.
Follower may react to a leader dependently,
counterdependently, or independently.
Concepts of Psychodynamic
Approach
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Repression and the shadow self.
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Deep psychology. Children schooled not to lash
out in anger. Socialization produces repression.
Repression causes anger to come out in other
forms in leadership situations.
Jung: concept of the shadow. Shadow self that
engages in behavior that she has been trained is
unacceptable. Leads to denial and an
incomplete understanding of her personality.
Concepts of Psychodynamic
Approach
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Archetypes.
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A strong pattern in the human psyche that persists over
time. A template of human behavior and belief.
Six archetypes.
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Innocent – exists before journey.
Orphan – moves out of comfort zone.
Martyr – devotes time and energy to the welfare of others.
Wanderer – independent or counterdependent.
Warrior – goes out into battle.
Magician – adaptability.
Concepts of Psychodynamic
Approach
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Two archetypes
relevant to
leadership: warrior
and magician
Concepts of the Psychodynamic
Approach
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Relational Analysis.
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Three ego states: parent, adult, child. All adults have all
three. Some are more dominant than others.
Parent ego state: critical (judgmental, fault-finding, strict)
versus nurturing (kind, gentle, loving).
Child ego state: playful (dependent) versus rebellious
(counterdependent).
Adult ego state: ability to do reality testing, trial and error.
Integrates parent and child egos. Uses those most
appropriate to the situation.
Concepts of the Psychodynamic
Approach
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Relational analysis.
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Transactional analysis: behavior of the leader or
subordinate will draw out (cathect) a countering
response (dependent or counterdependent) from
the other side.
A good leader attempts to bring out adult ego
states in subordinates.
Concepts of the
Psychodynamic
Approach
How Does the Psychodynamic
Approach Work?
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Psychodynamic theory designed to produce
change in the client.
All psychodynamic trainers assume that
insight into the psychological past of the
individual will bring about changes in
feelings, attitudes, and behaviors.
Strengths
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Analysis of relationship between leader and
follower.
Universality of the approach.
Emphasizes insight on the part of the
leader.
Discourages manipulative techniques of
leadership.
Criticisms
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Much of the early research based on
clinical examination of limited
populations.
Subjective nature of findings.
Based on case study reports for
individual practitioners.
Criticisms
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Cultural biases of practitioners.
Ignores organizational factors.
Does not lend itself to training.
Application
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Focuses on relationship of leader to
subordinate. General context of
human relationships.
Clinical background; personal growth
of leaders.
Application
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Build awareness of patterns of
emotional response.
Experiential training sessions.
Use testing of dimensions of
personality to uncover unconscious
interactions.