Josephine Campbell
Martin was Alfred’s star leader—or so he thought. Charismatic, sharp, and always prepared, Martin dazzled Alfred, the CEO, with his insights and ability to deliver impressive results. In meetings, Martin made Alfred feel supported, capable, and confident in the company’s direction. But what Alfred didn’t see—or chose not to—was the wake of frustration, burnout, and disengagement Martin left in his path.
While Martin was adept at ‘leading upward’, his behavior towards his team was starkly different. He dismissed their ideas, pursued personal wins over collective success, and created a toxic work environment that resulted in high turnover. Yet Alfred, focused on Martin’s upward charm and surface-level outcomes, failed to see the broader damage Martin’s selfish leadership was inflicting on the organization.
This scenario is all too common. Selfish leadership, which Martin exercises, often thrives in environments where CEOs judge leaders by their own experience with them rather than the influence these leaders have across the organization. Martin and Alfred are some of the main characters in my latest book, ’12 Tools for Managing a Selfish Leader: Unlock Authenticity for Resilience’. The book is based on real experiences, coaching leaders in large corporate firms.
As a CEO, the challenge is to look beyond the façade and recognize the true effect a leader has on their team and the company culture. Here are five aspects to be aware of when addressing selfish leadership, increasing engagement, and creating an authentic workplace where people engage, thrive, and stay loyal.
“Remember, great leaders don’t just impress the CEO—they elevate everyone around them.”
1. Recognize the Signs of Selfish Leadership
Selfish leaders like Martin prioritize their personal gain over the well-being of their teams and the broader organization. They excel at managing up, often masking the reality of their behavior. They may deliver impressive results in the short term but at the expense of long-term trust, collaboration, and commitment.
Key Indicators of Selfish Leadership:
- High employee turnover in their teams.
- Reluctance to share credit or empower others.
- A lack of collaboration with other departments or peers.
Action tip:
Establish systems to gather feedback from all levels of the organization. Use anonymous surveys and 360-degree reviews to uncover how leaders are perceived by their peers and direct reports. Look for patterns of disengagement, poor collaboration, or negative team morale.
2. Question Results That Seem Too Good to Be True
Martin’s ability to produce results made him seem indispensable to Alfred. However, selfish leaders often achieve short-term success by exploiting their teams, sidelining colleagues, or undermining others. CEOs need to dig deeper into the methods behind a leader’s results.
Action tip:
Analyze team performance data holistically. For example:
- Compare team engagement scores against performance metrics.
- Investigate whether high turnover or dissatisfaction exists in high-performing teams.
- Ensure results are achieved ethically and sustainably.
When results come at the cost of trust, commitment, or collaboration, the long-term damage far outweighs the short-term wins.
3. Evaluate Leaders on Their Impact Across the Organization
Martin’s charm blinded Alfred to the broader organizational damage he caused. Selfish leaders often behave impeccably with the CEO while ignoring the needs of others. CEOs must focus on how leaders treat everyone—not just themselves.
Key Questions to Ask:
- Does this leader exhibit enterprise thinking or focus on personal or departmental wins?
- What is the turnover rate and engagement level within your team?
- How do they collaborate with peers and cross-functional teams?
Action tip:
Make it standard practice to collect peer feedback during leadership evaluations. Direct reports, peers, and collaborators often provide invaluable insights into a leader’s true behavior and impact.
4. Address Selfish Leadership with Clarity and Accountability
When Alfred finally recognized Martin’s selfish tendencies, the damage had already been done. Employees were disengaged, and collaboration between teams had eroded. CEOs must address selfish leadership as soon as it’s identified, setting clear expectations for improvement.
Action tip:
Develop a structured plan for addressing selfish leadership:
- Set clear behavioral expectations: Define the behaviors you want to see, such as collaboration and respect for others.
- Provide coaching: Help leaders like Martin develop emotional intelligence and adopt a more servant-leadership approach.
- Monitor progress: Use metrics like turnover rates, engagement scores, and feedback loops to measure improvement.
If a leader fails to change, don’t hesitate to make tough decisions for the health of the organization.
5. Lead by Example to Create an Authentic Workplace
The antidote to selfish leadership is an authentic workplace where trust, collaboration, and commitment are paramount. CEOs like Alfred must model the behaviors they expect from their leaders. When the CEO embodies transparency, empathy, and a focus on collective success, these values cascade throughout the organization.
Action tip:
- Host open forums where employees can share feedback about leadership without fear of reprisal.
- Celebrate leaders who exemplify enterprise thinking and prioritize the well-being of their teams.
- Share your leadership philosophy and hold yourself accountable to the same standards.
“As a CEO, your role is to see the whole picture and ensure every leader contributes positively to the organization’s culture and success.”
Shifting from Selfish to Authentic Leadership
For Alfred, the realization of Martin’s selfish leadership came too late. But for CEOs willing to look beyond surface-level results and upward charm, there’s an opportunity to prevent such damage and create a culture of authenticity and engagement.
By evaluating leaders holistically, holding them accountable for their impact on others, and fostering an environment where collaboration and respect are celebrated, CEOs can increase engagement by 10 percent or more and build a workplace where employees thrive. We have experienced in our work as consultants how engagement numbers skyrocket when we shift from selfish to authentic leadership.
Remember, great leaders don’t just impress the CEO—they elevate everyone around them. As a CEO, your role is to see the whole picture and ensure every leader contributes positively to the organization’s culture and success.
Biography
Josephine Campbell is an executive coach and founder of Campbell Co., a top leadership development consulting firm for multinational companies. Campbell inspires and coaches leaders, teams, and talents in large organizations such as McDonald’s, Deloitte, Maersk, Novo Nordisk, and Carlsberg Group. Her approach combines the practical and the pragmatic. A four-time jiu-jitsu champion, she is particularly interested in developing personal leadership under challenging circumstances, as is often the case in modern work life.
Previously, Campbell was a serial entrepreneur and an external lecturer at Copenhagen Business School.
