STAR CEO OR BUSINESS DERAILER? THE LEADERSHIP DILEMMA

Updated: Oct 23

CEOs fired for extramarital affairs and double standards, since outwardly they display great charisma but inwardly they are like evil shadows toward their collaborators.

Why do associations such as IMEF, IMCP, and CANACINTRA show signs of dysfunction in their leadership? Discover the dark sides of leadership through the disturbing "Shadow" proposed by Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist, psychologist, and essayist, and the "Derailers" of Robert Hogan, an organizational psychologist known for developing the Hogan Personality Inventory, which scientifically measures leadership.

Hello, I'm Juan Carlos Erdozáin, and if you're a business leader, you've probably already experienced the big lie sold at conferences and gala dinners : that of perfect leadership.

That kind of "perfect" leadership is certainly seen in associations and guilds like those I've observed at Canacintra, IMCP, and IMEF , where praise prevail among presidents and members. The question is , is there a double standard to leadership?

**DEGREES OF MANAGEMENT TOWARD LEADERSHIP**

THE SHADOW OF PRIVATE BEHAVIOR

The problem is not a lack of technique, but an inability to confront the shadow of our own ego. — THE CEO AND HIS INABILITY TO CONFRONT THE SHADOW OF HIS OWN EGO

We've spent decades talking about management matrices, strategic objectives, and shared vision . But today, with the virality of social media, the facade crumbles in hours. The problem isn't a lack of technique , but rather the inability to confront the shadow of our own ego.

It's time to go beyond self-help coaching and apply real science.

THE "ASTRONOMER" CASE: WHEN A STAR CEO CREATES HIS OWN CRISIS

SOME CEOs SHOW VISION AND CHARISMA ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT INTERNALLY THE STORY IS DIFFERENT.

Consider the recent and high-profile scandal involving the former CEO of the technology company Astronomer . Externally, these executives build a powerful personal brand, projecting vision and charisma. They are star CEOs , the face of the company, a driving force for its reputation.

But when private, or even offline , behavior tarnishes a reputation, the organization is forced to take a stand. In the case of Astronomer, the statement was brutally clear: "Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard has not been met ."

This brings us back to the core of the leadership crisis: Incongruence is the greatest risk to a company's value . If the leader can't personally live up to corporate values, how authentic is their internal leadership? The public persona (the "mask") dissolves, revealing Robert Hogan 's Derailer .

FROM THE TOP TO THE FALL: WHAT DOES THE INTERNAL MATRIX OF CERTAIN LEADERS HIDE? THE SHADOW?

DR. ROBERT HOGAN AND JUAN CARLOS ERDOZAIN AT THE IBEROAMERICAN UNIVERSITY

The renowned Dr. Robert Hogan , a world leader in organizational psychology, set the global standard for leadership assessment.

Its Hogan Assessments methodology has been implemented by the world's most prestigious organizations.

Robert Hogan, recognized last year as one of the most influential organizational psychologists of the 21st century, is the author of more than 300 articles, chapters, and books, and the creator of the Hogan Personality Inventories (HPI, HDS, and MVPI).

By the way, as a HeadHunter, I became a distance learning disciple of Dr. Hogan, from whom I learned the Hogan Assessments, the preferred tool for global organizations in more than 50 countries to identify and develop high-potential talent. His scientific methodology is used by 75% of Fortune 500 companies in their leadership development programs, and in my opinion, it was inspired by "The Shadow," a concept developed by Carl Jung. In his methodology, Robert Hogan doesn't speak of "The Shadow" but rather of "Derailers"

" When you are afraid , you become petrified and die before your time." Carl Jung

Carl Jung was one of the world's most famous psychologists, creator of the concept of "The Shadow"

The Hogan System is nothing other than the perfectly quantifiable manifestation of the "Shadow" described by Carl Jung : those dark, unconscious traits that emerge under stress, undermining trust and sapping the value of the company.

At the pinnacle of CEO success, the problem is almost never strategy, it's behavior , relentlessly sustained by "The Shadow" (Carl Jung) or the "Derailers" (Robert Hogan).

A leader with high external charisma (great public personality) can be internally a Traditional Leader who:

Low Recognition, uses charisma to grab credit, minimizing the team's contribution.

Uses Micromanagement (Low Empowerment), projecting impatience and insecurity, distrusting the team in daily tasks.

To identify and neutralize this "Shadow" (derailers), we must abandon self-deception and measure leadership where it really matters: the trenches .

SCANNING LEADERSHIP: CONFRONTING THE SHADOW WITH SCIENCE

My methodology combines the rigor of Hogan and Jung with a practical management framework, the Albrecht & Associates Leadership Matrix (which I have updated for the digital age).

Leadership is not measured by applause, but by the scores the Leader's team assigns in these four crucial dimensions:

By administering the Leadership Style Diagnostic Questionnaire , you'll obtain a relentless, but invaluable, score. A score below 33 points categorizes you as a Traditional Boss/Derailer in that area, regardless of how successfully you sell at your events.

If your external charisma doesn't translate into internal confidence, your leadership is a strategic vulnerability.

THE INVITATION: ALIGN YOUR FACADE WITH YOUR FOUNDATION

ALIGNING YOURSELF WITH YOUR SHADOW IS TRUE LEADERSHIP

A leadership that succeeds in streaming but fails in internal culture is doomed to collapse. In the reputation economy, inconsistency on social media can lead to the loss of customers and credibility.

What it's about is using the technique to transform your ego into authority and therefore into leadership.

If you're ready to confront the shadow that's derailing you, the first step is honesty. The second is seeking professional support.

Start a real diagnosis of your leadership and align your charisma with your governance.

FROM THE FACADE TO THE TRENCHES: THE SILENT CRISIS IN ASSOCIATIONS AND GUILDS

BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS AND THE PARADOX OF DUAL LEADERSHIP

If the fall of Astronomer's CEO is the public alarm of our time, the phenomenon you and I observe in some Mexican organizations like the MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS (IMCP), CANACINTRA, or the MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF FINANCIAL EXECUTIVES (IMEF) (just to mention a few) is the silent crisis. It's a derailment that rarely makes headlines, but which erodes the morale and effectiveness of unions from within. I'm referring to the Dual Leadership Dilemma.

Leadership in the Guild: A Two-Sided Game

In Mexico, the National President of an association or guild is, by definition, a temporary Star CEO. His role requires him to be a charismatic showman , a tireless lobbyist, and a visionary for the media and high-level members.

The problem arises when this "Public Mask" ( Jung's persona ) is just that: a performance designed to win applause and votes. Under the pressure of these expectations, the "Shadow" emerges, projecting itself directly onto the central office team and local branches:

With the Affiliates and the Press (The Mask), the President displays Advanced Leadership/Coaching. Active listening, shared vision, and empowerment of committees. This implies a high score on the leadership assessment matrix.
With the Employees (The Shadow), The same leader operates with a Traditional/Boss Style. His impatience and high need for control (traits of the Hogan Derailer) translate into abrupt behavior, lack of autonomy, and disregard for institutional knowledge.

JUNGIAN'S SHADOW AS HOGAN'S DEVELOPER

IMAGE THAT IS AN ALLEGORY OF A CONVERSATION BETWEEN CARL JUNG AND ROBERT HOGAN WHO NEVER MET EACH OTHER

Why does this disparity between two personalities occur among some CEOs and association presidents? The answer lies in the profiles of these leaders:

They are High Performance Volunteers, they achieve their position through professional merit (successful accountants, entrepreneurs, financiers). Time is their scarcest resource, and impatience becomes its primary derailer.

The Devaluation of Back-Office, the work of internal collaborators (permanent employees) doesn't generate the headlines or tangible results of lobbying. Therefore, the leader devalues this effort, undermining Autonomy and Recognition (Dimensions 3 and 4 of the Albrecht Matrix).

Fear of Incompetence, the President , being an external expert to the internal management of the association, disguises his insecurity about administrative management through hyper-criticism and excessive control (micromanagement), manifesting the Shadow of toxic perfectionism.

Mission Failure: When Purpose Disconnects

When the leader operates with this Dual Leadership, a short circuit occurs in the association's mission:

Loss of Institutional Memory, employees, subject to inconsistent or tyrannical treatment, develop high turnover or deep detachment. Institutional knowledge (the true foundation of the union) is lost.

In Toxic Communication, the demand for a Shared Vision (Dimension 1 of the Albrecht Matrix) becomes a command. The team ceases to be a group of problem solvers and becomes task-oriented executors.

Silent Talent Drain, internal professionalism, which requires empowerment and feedback to thrive, is suffocated. The association loses the most competent managers who simply cannot tolerate the treatment.

YOUR LEADERSHIP, MR. PRESIDENT, BEGINS IN THE NATIONAL OFFICE

If you preside or aspire to preside over a union, your ultimate test is not in your speech at the meeting, but in the results of your Leadership Style Diagnosis applied to your employees.