Leadership dynamics and the risks of extreme management behaviors

Management coach Stefan Hölscher explores how leadership failures often stem from the intensification of positive traits under pressure. In his book ‘Irre/Führung’, Hölscher argues that leadership rarely fails due to bad intentions, but rather because strengths like performance orientation, speed, and self-confidence tip into extremes such as goal fixation, activism, and overestimation when leaders are stressed.

One specific case study describes a technically brilliant founder whose success became a bottleneck for his growing company. By centralizing all decisions and demanding total priority over private life, the leader inadvertently blocked growth and struggled to retain younger professionals.

Complementing this view, research from Stanford University by Alzahawi and Flynn challenges the popular trend of leaders publicly admitting uncertainty to foster psychological safety. Their experiments suggest that leaders who openly communicate their own insecurity are perceived by subordinates as less effective, less competent, and less warm, potentially shifting the burden of responsibility onto the team rather than providing necessary guidance.