Leaders make mistakes: A multilevel consideration of why

Errors make up a substantial portion of the fabric of leadership, yet we know very little about how and why they occur. Using Fleishman et al.'s (1991) behavioral taxonomy as a foundation, we offer a multilevel theoretical framework for understanding the causes of leader error — discussing lead...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Leadership quarterly 2011-04, Vol.22 (2), p.239-258
Main Authors: Hunter, Samuel T., Tate, Brian W., Dzieweczynski, Jessica L., Bedell-Avers, Katrina E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Errors
Human error
Leadership
Mistakes
Multilevel
Organization theory
Studies
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Summary:Errors make up a substantial portion of the fabric of leadership, yet we know very little about how and why they occur. Using Fleishman et al.'s (1991) behavioral taxonomy as a foundation, we offer a multilevel theoretical framework for understanding the causes of leader error — discussing leader, group and organization level influences. The results of the effort reveal several key themes, including the negative impact of timeframe, complex influence of expertise, causes of rigidity in problem solving, and the key role of the subordinate in minimizing the negative impacts of error. A closer consideration of these themes reveals several practical and theoretical implications for reducing the frequency and severity of leader errors. We conclude with a discussion of directions for future research.
ISSN:1048-9843
1873-3409
DOI:10.1016/j.leaqua.2011.02.001