EXCEPTIONAL LEADERS...
Don't Drive Others Crazy

Values Beliefs Traits Emotions You may have seen leaders who do. No one intentional sets out to drive others crazy—and yet it happens. Studies show that normal people can become almost psychotic when they are caught in a “double bind” situation. Here is how it is done:

  1. First make someone dependent on you for their welfare and security.
  2. Give them a strong directive. (“Increase production”)
  3. Then give them another strong directive which contradicts the first. (“Reduce costs”)
  4. Then refuse to talk about the inconsistency. (“I don't want to hear about your problems. Just get it done.”)

    It also helps to say that you have an open door policy at the same time.

At times, bosses don't realize they create double bind situations for people. Sometimes double binds are cascaded down the hierarchy getting more bizarre as they go. This occurs a lot during the budgeting process.

Another type of double bind is when the demands conflict with one’s internal values. Finding one’s self “stuck” in a situation that conflicts with one’s values can be debilitating to say the least.

Some external circumstances simply create a double bind situation, such as when you need to increase prices to be profitable and your competitors are lowering their prices.

These kinds of situations induce incredible stress and drive us crazy.

Exceptional Leaders can see when they create a double bind for others and when they are caught in one themselves. They take strong initiatives to have productive conversations that restore sanity to a situation.

 

? Thought Provoker

  • Think about the demands that you currently facing you. Are they conflicting?
  • Do you analyze your stress and surface what is really causing it?
  • Are you willing to aggressively engage in productive conversations that highlight the conflict and work toward resolving and/or prioritizing competing demands?
  • As a leader, are you on the lookout for when you create a double bind for others?
  • Are you open and available for others to bring such situations to your attention?
 

Some say a little bit of stress is a good thing. But the stress that is caused by competing and contradictory demands causes suffering and can put you in the hospital.

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