Finding Meaning in Life

Create a compelling self-narrative based on the five pillars that influence the way we experience meaning.

Do CEOs Deserve Their Pay?

The myths that drive the CEO pay bonanza.

The Eight Archetypes of Leadership

One typically sees a number of recurring patterns of behavior that influence an individual’s effectiveness within an organization. I think of these patterns as leadership “archetypes,” reflecting the various roles executives can play in organizations and it is a lack of fit between a leader’s archetype and the context in which he or she operates is a main cause of team and organizational dysfunctionality … [ Read more ]

Reflections on Leadership and Career Development

This book collects and updates articles written over the past three decades by one of the foremost proponents of what might be termed—though probably not by its practitioners—the psychoanalytic school of leadership. It’s the second in a trilogy whose not completely felicitous subtitle gives away the author’s bias: “On the Couch with Manfred Kets de Vries.” [s+b annotation]

Forgiveness as a Business Tool

The knee-jerk reaction of too many people in leadership positions when they feel wronged is righteous indignation and the urge for revenge. But one factor that sets truly transformational leaders apart from the run-of-the-mill is the ability to forgive – to let feelings of anger, resentment and blame fall away and become something constructive. Great leaders know the art of reconciliation.

The Thought Leader Interview: Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries

INSEAD’s expert on leadership development clarifies how self-awareness can break the destructive pattern of corporate narcissism.

Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries

We all have these elements in us — the self-aggrandizing narcissistic leader, and the follower who obeys, no matter the cost. All of us have a darker side. It’s best to know how to manage that part of ourselves. Otherwise, in extreme situations, we tend to regress and become destructive.

Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries

Some companies are what I call “authentizotic,” meaning that people are attracted to work for them. They are the best places to work. [The word authentizotic is derived from the Greek authentikos, meaning authentic, and zotikos, meaning vital to life.] These organizations cultivate three major values. The first is a sense of meaning: People feel they do something substantial. …The second value is a feeling … [ Read more ]

Ruben Vardanian at the Helm of Troika Dialog

Ruben Vardanian, CEO of Troika, is a “Golden Boy of Russian capitalism”. Unlike his fellow members of the Russian oligarchs’ club, Vardanian started from scratch and climbed upwards. This case, Ruben Vardanian at the Helm of Troika Dialog by Stanislav Shekshnia, Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at INSEAD with Manfred Kets de Vries, Raoul de Vitry d’Avaucourt Professor of Human Resource Management at INSEAD scrutinizes Vardanian’s … [ Read more ]

Dysfunctional Leadership

It stands to reason that dysfunctional leaders would create dysfunctional organizations. Yet, as Professor Manfred Kets de Vries suggests, there is little research on the dark side of leaders, the “Darth Vader” aspect that is at the core of so many organizational downfalls. In this Working Paper, he looks at specific personality dysfunctions alongside organizational dysfunctions, illustrating how the two, more often than … [ Read more ]

Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Yukos: Chelovek c rublyom (Man with a Ruble)

In October 2003, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Russia’s richest man and the CEO of Yukos, the second-largest Russian oil producer with a market capitalization of US$26 billion, was arrested and thrown into jail on charges of fraud and tax evasion. Several days later he resigned as CEO of Yukos. This case study tells the story of the rise and (temporary?) fall of a young man whom some … [ Read more ]

A New Start or the End? The Retirement Syndrome

Retirement generally conjures up images of golf courses and swimming pools, card games and cocktails. But for many people, particularly top-level executives and CEOs, these images are nothing short of a nightmare. In this new Working Paper, Professor Kets de Vries looks at the dark side of retirement, and outlines how individuals and organizations can help ease the process of letting go.

Larry Ellison: A Samurai Warrior in Silicon Valley

Sex, death and dominance. One may say that these are the major themes of Oracle founder Larry Ellison’s life. But the headline-grabbing bad-boy image often overshadows a stark reality: the man is a brilliant entrepreneur, who created the world’s second-largest software company. Professor Manfred Kets de Vries and Elizabeth Florent-Treacy pick up the story in this new case.

Change At the Top: Can CEOs Do It?

CEOs wear the crown, which idiomatically, lies heavy. They are vested with authority (and of course, bear responsibilities) that comes with a very small margin of error. Clearly, they need to be well-adjusted. To ensure this, they must be open to change and have the will and the skill to do so. Professor Manfred Kets de Vries discusses the value of this process and how … [ Read more ]

The Leadership Mystique: A User’s Manual for the Human Enterprise

Kets de Vries makes two key arguments. One, organizations, like people, have psychological styles. Two, people are not so straightforward. “There are few universals in life, but transference is one,” he writes. “What transference says is that no relationship we have is a new relationship; all relationships are colored by previous relationships.” And this doesn’t just mean previous work relationships. Psychologists like Kets de Vries … [ Read more ]

The House that Branson Built: Virgin’s Entry Into the New Millennium

Anyone can make music, but when the orchestral baton rests in the hands of someone like Richard Branson (entrepreneur of the Virgin Group), the resulting sound is more than musical – it’s magical. INSEAD Professor Manfred Kets de Vries examines the inner-workings of this successful entrepreneur and the evolution of Virgin – from one leader to more “systematic” management.