Why do so many incompetent men become leaders? | Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic | TEDxUniversityofNevada

Summary

This script discusses the prevalence of incompetent male leaders, attributing it to society's misinterpretation of confidence as competence, a fascination with charisma, and a cultural inclination towards narcissism. It suggests that focusing on humility, competence, and integrity in leadership could improve leadership quality and naturally lead to more women in leadership roles, as they tend to score higher in these traits.

Takeaways

• 😀 Men are statistically more likely to overestimate their abilities compared to women.
• 😏 Overconfidence can lead to success, as people who deceive themselves about their talents can also deceive others.
• 🧐 Lack of self-awareness can increase the likelihood of becoming a leader, which is problematic given the prevalence of incompetent leaders.
• 🔍 The speaker, an organizational psychologist, investigates how gender and personality influence leadership choices and organizational impact.
• 🌍 The under-representation of women in leadership is a global issue, but the incompetence of many male leaders is an even larger problem.
• 😲 Incompetent leaders often have negative effects on their teams, leading to low engagement, trust, and productivity.
• 🤔 The inability to distinguish between confidence and competence is a major reason why incompetent individuals rise to leadership positions.
• 🌟 Charismatic individuals are often preferred as leaders despite the fact that charisma does not equate to effective leadership.
• 🚫 The allure of narcissistic individuals with grandiose visions can lead to poor leadership choices, as they may lack empathy and self-control.
• 🚀 To improve leadership, we should focus on promoting individuals with competence, humility, and integrity, rather than charisma and confidence.
• 🤝 Distrusting our instincts and focusing on the right traits can lead to better leadership and a more balanced gender representation in leadership roles.

Q & A

What is the main point discussed in the video script about the relationship between gender and leadership?

The script discusses the tendency for men to be more overconfident about their abilities compared to women and how this overconfidence, despite being a sign of incompetence, often leads to success in their careers and leadership positions.

Why does the speaker suggest that being unaware of one's limitations could increase the likelihood of becoming a boss?

The speaker implies that individuals who are unaware of their limitations may overestimate their abilities, which can lead to a misplaced confidence that others may mistake for leadership potential.

What is the speaker's profession, and how does it relate to the topic of the script?

The speaker is an organizational psychologist who uses science and technology to predict and understand human behavior at work, making the topic of gender, personality, and leadership particularly relevant to their expertise.

What is the common problem the speaker identifies with most leaders, regardless of their gender?

The speaker identifies incompetence as a common problem with most leaders, noting that they often have negative effects on their followers and subordinates, leading to low engagement, trust, productivity, and high levels of burnout and stress.

According to the script, why do people often mistake confidence for competence?

People tend to assume that confident individuals have more leadership potential, but the script points out that there is little overlap between confidence (how good people think they are) and competence (how good they actually are).

What is the speaker's view on the importance of charisma in leadership?

The speaker suggests that while charisma can be appealing, it is not a necessary trait for effective leadership. In fact, the best leaders are described as humble and possibly even boring, rather than charismatic.

Why does the speaker argue that narcissism can be a barrier to effective leadership?

Narcissistic individuals often have grandiose visions and a lack of empathy and self-control, which can lead to acting without integrity and taking reckless risks. This self-absorption can hinder their ability to be effective leaders.

What advice does the speaker give to improve the selection of leaders and increase the number of competent leaders?

The speaker advises focusing on traits such as competence, humility, and integrity rather than charisma, confidence, and narcissism. Additionally, the speaker suggests distrusting instincts and improving our own competence in judging and selecting leaders.

What is the speaker's stance on the role of intuition in the selection of leaders?

The speaker argues that intuition is often flawed and can lead to biases and prejudices. Instead of relying on first impressions, the selection process should focus on objective measures of competence and character.

How does the speaker suggest addressing the under-representation of women in leadership roles?

The speaker suggests that by focusing on the right traits for leadership—competence, humility, and integrity—and distrusting instincts, the proportion of female leaders would naturally increase, as women score higher on these measures.

What is the speaker's final recommendation for improving the competence level of leaders?

The speaker recommends that each individual should improve their own competence in judging and selecting leaders, especially when it comes to male candidates, to ensure that standards are elevated and not lowered for women.