Research from the AGSM - Adaptive Leadership: Can the One-trick CEO Be Retrained?

The CVs of "two-dimensional leaders" provide clues for those who may be most at risk, observes Barry Bloch, partner in leadership consulting at Heidrick & Struggles, a global executive search firm. Typically, they have one-track careers with "experience in single industries or single companies", he says. And the inability to adapt often reflects where they have learned to lead.   A hallmark of the authoritarian leader is not listening to others, bypassing the opportunity to hear bad news. A common tactic is keeping people who may challenge their approaches at bay by surrounding themselves with those who understand and support their style of leadership. Frequently, a cabal of chosen operatives goes with a CEO when he or she changes jobs.