Moral Myopia and Leadership

We've all heard the saying, "With great power comes great responsibility." I argue that we have a problem: With great power, also comes great blindness. Here are some reasons:

• Whatever leaders did throughout their careers got them where they are now. Under such circumstances, how would you convince a leader to change? How do you explain that what worked before no longer works now?

• Power begets power. The more power one has, the more one is likely to receive. Thus, power is rewarded by its very existence.

• The more power one has, the less likely others are to tell one the truth. Think about it: How likely are you to have a heart-to-heart with an all-powerful individual in your organization and tell them what they are doing wrong?