“Oh, who would ever want to be king?”

Viva La Vida

Written by:

Christopher A. J. Martin, Guy Rupert Berryman, Jonathan Mark Buckland, William Champion (2008). (Coldplay)

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

It is a great question that Cold Play asks in their hit song, ‘Viva La Vida’. How many times have you been part of a conversation or overhead people asking this question, typically when the leadership is facing some sort of crisis? Some may well consider that it is in matters of crisis that the reluctant leader emerges. Whilst this is certainly true of this group, it is a lot broader than this.

The reluctant leader also includes the potential leader, a person who has demonstrated their ability and capacity to take on a leadership role but for some reason they never take that final leap. They may have even been a standout performer in an acting position for 6 months or more.  They may be well qualified and even be willing to take on these fixed and often short-term appointments. There could be a variety of reasons for this.

A study into the reluctance of people to take on leadership roles was conducted by Professors Julia Lee Cunningham and Sue Ashford and a former student, Laura Sonday, from the Ross School of Business at The University of Michigan. In a podcast entitled ‘Business and Society with Michigan Ross’, lead author, Julia Lee Cunningham, suggested Three factors / fears that lead to people being reluctant to take on leadership.

• First is the fear of being seen as bossy and domineering.
• Second is a fear of seeming different.
• Third is a fear of seeming unqualified and ‘Imposter Syndrome’.

Needham, Bob with Cunningham, Julia Lee (2022) ‘The Three Fears that Make Us Reluctant to Act as Leaders’ in ‘Business and Society with Michigan Ross’ (November 14, 2022). p3 of 4.

Whilst not an exhaustive list, some other reasons that might come to mind, as to why people may be reluctant to take on leadership roles include:

• Family considerations, especially if they have the care of a person with significant disability. This could include a child or elderly parent or sibling.
• The Work-Life balance can often be a reason. The perception is that leadership can eat into time, that should be given to loved ones, a partner, children, perhaps even close friends. It’s about nurturing the self by being with your inner circle.
• Health reasons can also come into play. It may be that the time needed to take on the role would eat into time you spend on fitness and health. It may be that you already have significant health issues that can be exacerbated by the stress that often comes with leadership.
• Dislocation from colleagues can be a significant fear. The reality is that being promoted into leadership from within the organization, may mean that people will see you as ‘management’ rather than as a trusted colleague. The dynamic of relationships can change.
• Restrictions on who you can and can’t talk to. The reality for many, is that in leadership you generally have the conversations about issues that are bothering you, with other colleague leaders. Their understanding of the context and the need for confidentiality are often the driving forces at work.
• Expectations for the person taking on the leadership role are perceived as unreasonable.
• The pay differential between your current pay and the leadership role is too meagre to make it worthwhile.
• If the culture of the organization is perceived as unhealthy, even toxic, it makes sense that people would be reluctant.

According to Cunningham, it is important to see leadership and reluctance as being contextual. Indeed, there are some who suggest that rather than have formal leadership roles, leaders should be allowed to emerge as required. If for example a service organisation has a financial problem, and the formal leadership role is occupied by someone with a major in a non-financial discipline, then wisdom would suggest that they should defer to those with more expertise, whilst also trying to get across the issues themselves.

“So some people would say, “Yes, absolutely. Under all circumstances, I see myself as a leader and I’m a leader,” but most people will say, “Ah, it really depends on the situation.” In today’s workplace, people are constantly being pulled into different types of teams and committees. That might be a long-term commitment, but it can also be a short-term, fluid team formed to solve a specific problem. People may or may not see themselves as a leader depending on which teams they are going into. It is important to think of leadership as a contextually dependent identity that people either endorse and internalize in the moment or not.”

Needham, Bob with Cunningham, Julia Lee (2022) ‘The Three Fears that Make Us Reluctant to Act as Leaders’ in ‘Business and Society with Michigan Ross’ (November 14, 2022). p2 & 3 of 4.

One of the impacts of COVID is the fact that it made people prioritize things, with work often coming after family and health. How the senior leadership rises to the challenge of managing their teams and developing team members as future leaders whilst ‘working from home’, is an important question that needs to be addressed. The narrative that the leaders give to those who might be aspiring to leadership one day is also important. If people don’t receive feedback that allows for them to grow and develop and further their journey, then all that is being fed is the reluctance of people to take on leadership of any kind. How toxic the culture of the organization, is also going to have an impact on people’s reluctance. Leaders that feed the ego of middle or frontline leaders can also grow reluctant leaders, as Mark Crowley in his excellent book, ‘Lead From The Heart,’ highlights.

“Sometimes, leaders feel reluctant to help people grow—out of fear that they’ll end up losing someone who is highly productive and seemingly irreplaceable.”

Crowley, Mark. C. (2022). Lead From The Heart: Transformational Leadership For The 21st Century (eBook). Carlsbad. California: Hay House, Inc. p264.