The Role of Self-Deception in Leadership Ineffectiveness — a Theoretical Overview

Abstract

The impact of effective leadership practices on various components of organisational success is a well-researched area in the domain of leadership and management. There is, however, little research available that focuses on those aspects that constitute leadership ineffectiveness and that, in turn, contribute to organisational failure. A literature review was conducted, identifying those behaviours that are responsible for leadership ineffectiveness. A fairly large amount of the literature consulted appears to suggest that the character of a leader; the ability to manage one's own emotions; and difficulty in effectively managing interpersonal relationships may be some of the major aspects impacting negatively on the effectiveness of a leader. In this article I raise a topic in leadership research previously neglected by researchers in that I explore and illustrate how self-deception could be regarded as one of the primary reasons contributing to leadership ineffectiveness. The implication for leaders, organisations and those responsible for the development of leaders is also discussed, while areas for future research are indicated.