It is not uncommon to encounter leaders who are dysfunctional in some way. Leader dysfunction may arise from specific personality traits, distorted thinking, destructive patterns of behavior, or all of the above. In some cases, coaching is an appropriate response to leader dysfunction; in other cases, referring the leader to a therapist is best. Coaches must know when to draw the line.

In this Discussion, you will consider different types of leader dysfunction, the causes of the dysfunctions, and whether coaching is an appropriate response.

To Prepare:

Read the articles “The Dark Triad and Workplace Behavior,” “Abusive Supervision,” “Coaching the Toxic Leader,” and “Leadership Illusions: Important Implications for Leaders and Training and Coaching Leaders