A recent article published in American Psychologist beautifully explains why so many people experience their managers as piping hot geysers of stress (Vugt, Hogan & Kaiser, 2008). What emerges is that bosses aren't inherently bad people (mostly), but that the modern culture of work sets them up to fail. Here are the seven main reasons I've picked out from this article for why leaders fail:

1. Strict hierarchies.

2. Poor decision-making.

3. Huge pay differentials.

4. Impossible standards for leaders.

5. Climb the greasy pole.

6. Psychology of followership?

7. Alienation.

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From Psyblog