It is debatable whether leaders are born or made; leads evolutionary psychologists to relate the characteristics of today’s leaders with those who directed the first homo sapiens, if leadership is a science or an art, whether it be a leader or no different from being a “manager”, a manager, or on what should be its characteristics, skills and attitudes. Since the mid-90s, studied and developed the “emotional intelligence” of leaders and define their core competencies in terms of it.

Despite the confusion they generate so much information and many points of view, seems to be achieving some consensus on what are some key features of the leaders.

In a recent article published by Harvard Business, Michael Maccoby, anthropologist and psychoanalyst with his own consulting firm in Washington, defended when necessary narcissism is a “normal” when it is pathological and destructive. Those are normal, productive narcissistic called because they are creative strategists and are able to see the great designs and give meaning to the risky challenge of changing the world.

The danger is that, lacking self-knowledge and an anchor limited, narcissistic become unrealistic dreamers. Feed large projects and have the fantasy that only the circumstances or enemies block their success.

Since most companies are run by narcissistic, one of the tasks of these organizations is to prevent self-destruction of their leaders or the company. They need their therapists and even allow them to break free from their limitations.

Among its strengths Maccoby stressed the great vision. The vision is more necessary than ever in the management of enterprises, the other is the ability to attract many followers. This leads to the charismatic leadership that serves very little to the development of individuals and business groups, because it stimulates both the proximity and alignment of the other as the insulation. A true leader, since its role is to manage these distances.

Among its highlights weaknesses that our author is very sensitive to criticism to which battleship against their emotions. The other weakness is that they are very bad listeners, perhaps because they fear being attacked or feeling. They lack empathy, they do not like to be advised.

The leader knows and manages for itself and the other emotional intelligence. Perhaps the word hierarchy is bad news because the ideas we associate with the control and suppression. However, the hierarchy is necessary …… Also to facilitate the delegation.

Delegation and “seizure” of which there is much talk and little is done because, basically, the delegation leader is more dependent on the followers and more vulnerable to these errors. But when leaders do not recognize their vulnerability and integrated transfer the center of attention of the object that generated the hazardous risks they experience, the competitive environment, the strategic uncertainty of the company to people who think they can control, influence. Replace people who think they can control the technology and the market that can not control.

How much truth can be controlled? When we talk about controlling or being controlled, it is true?. Or is it controls surface compliance or submission, say rational or driven by fear? From the psychological point of view who is controlled and less effective, is less productive?. Can be passive rather than active?. What, if any, the psychology of passivity on the job?.

All are ambiguous and usually before the authority comes from the relationship we have had during our childhood with authority figures, especially parents. How is changing, if we can, from resentment to gratitude when those of us who run those figures evoke childhood? We know the impact they have had and are having Goleman’s books on emotional intelligence.

This author has done a study of competence in 188 companies, mostly multinational and even global. These competencies grouped into three categories: technical skills, cognitive skills such as analytical reasoning ability and emotional competencies such as ability to work effectively with others and to lead change. Their study shows a high correlation between the latter and the success of the companies they manage.

Goleman cites the self-consciousness, the ability to understand and work with emotions, self, ability to control and redirect impulses and moods, motivation, empathy and social skills.

Let alone claim to have covered all the skills, all skills, all the expectations that were expected to and should take the lead. However, if the meta-skills, ones that may come a broad range of skills required in certain circumstances and businesses. Because, ultimately, leadership as an art and science must be situational: adapted to the circumstances.

Manage and inertizan toxicity produced any human organization. There is no doubt that companies, like humans who are, interpersonal relationships and the uncertainty of the environments in which it works toxicity, stress, psychological wounds of normal work, we have to recognize as inevitable; envy , rivalries (you need a good “detox” to recognize that the rivals are never in the company, are always outside), arrogant, narcissistic positions, persecution, and so on.

From a superficial these diseases may appear clearly and are to some extent. But from another, as may be situations where it is possible to develop creativity and improve the organization. The leader who knows how to manage toxicity and inertiza, the neutralization can use it creatively.

Are shown as vulnerable as any human being. When a leader shows weakness creates a stream of confidence and it helps that his followers feel more comfortable “in the same boat.” If you show perfect, invulnerable, do not need anyone, do not you help your employees. However, it takes much courage, much strength to play well.

Have the ability to capture and interpret non-numeric data (numbers of course too), very little quantitative and qualitative reading keys and clues and no feelings expressed. Can assess whether the relationships work or not. Information and detect subtle silences. But being a sensor can also create problems. Including the “project” their thoughts and thus the possibility of distorting the truth. As an example a little rough, an employee sees that his boss is distracted and can interpret his superior did not take into account because it will fire. It is necessary that they received through the sensor fits in reality.

Unfortunately, in many seminars today advocated a kind of empathy in the child that we must “understand” and “concern” for others. Authentic leaders do not need to talk to them well. Aware that they have to worry about their employees.

It may be confusing empathy with sympathy. Being empathic is not to agree but rather to understand what is said from where he says: “I understand what you say and from what position or what assumptions do.” Empathy adult is to give people what they need, not they want.

When practicing, it takes into account both the needs both personal and group as the task that the company has to fulfill. It is not easy to deal with two aspects, especially in times of difficulties of the company.

Those who practice an empathic adult who is defending something precious and people acting and certainly are much more as they are and what they defend. Communicate not only authenticity but also show they are doing much more than simply play a role, a “role”.

Dare to be different. Capitalize and build on what’s different. Although, as already indicated above, reveal their vulnerabilities, while they appear and act differently from others, to their followers.

It is a form of the latter are aware that leader, although it is a human being like them, has an irreplaceable role in the organization. Using their distance to motivate others to improve their performance.

Are no Machiavellian but instinctively recognize that the fans will work more if their leader is a little distant. The danger is that the differentiation is extreme and lose contact because if you lose too much distance in their sensing capabilities.

Understand the complexity of the strategic processes. On the strategic processes that are processes of change, mergers and splits, we can meet with business groups, on the one hand, hate the market, according to the development of the company, preferred products or services from other competitors to our .

At the time, they realize they have to change but find it because it is always painful to mourn what you are doing. The worst is melancholy, with masking feelings of guilt that we hate so we die. Moreover, what we are dying is the fault of others, “the market but also the organization’s members that have failed to preserve the product.

If we understand the business as we provide chimneys functional divisions, they are bad, we good. Bureaucracy and different measurement procedures such as a cost accounting model, are tools that confirm that fantasy of division. Another manifestation is the assertion that “for us to think and they work.”

It should be recalled that leaders need followers and followers lead.

From a strategic point of view, anxiety management in the process of division or merger could be seen as an alarm system, an anticipation of the complexity that is hanging over the company.

One of the features of news organizations is their emphasis on the “customer is king.” Every company is founded on providing the best customer service. Even some firms are organized internally from the perspective of customers and suppliers, this metaphor by replacing the hierarchical organization.

Survival is viewed solely as the customer, their needs and demands, quicker and better. Recently a big company organized a seminar with the sales team and spent the películla “What remains of the day” as an example of the total subordination of needs, attention to the wishes of those we serve, recognizing all the authority in their needs.

What remained of the day, or life, a person was depressed, disconnected, could not live according to another.

Dorothy and her friends were afraid of the almighty Wizard of Oz when he visited to solve their problems. However, coincidentally, managed to frighten the Wizard, who jumped through a few scenes and let these fall andalusia andalusia discovered a man who was driving behind and hung from wires in some levers.

“You are mistaken,” said the gentle-man with the voice I’ve been faking, I’m just a normal man. ” And our friends realize that the man was a ventriloquist and this allowed him to use to use the voice like thunder.

This moment of personal conversion, when a person leaves behind the illusion, disappear when the signs of power, and when it discovers an ordinary man, perhaps is both the dream and the nightmare of the leaders because they are willing to “go out closet “where they and others might have placed them, the cabinet of the omnipotence of invulnerability, of omniscience.