Combinations of Performance Personality & Containment Factors
While the level of a leader’s innate performance personality - such as narcissism - is a major contributor to whether they are effective, ineffective, or potentially toxic and risky, the level of certain ‘Containment Factors’ significantly impacts how the leader is experienced by the people they lead. These factors interact with the leader’s personality like ‘prisms' through which the leader’s personality radiates out to the world and other people – making them more effective, less effective, or potentially toxic and risky in certain situations.
Leadership Assets
A dynamic and effective level of a performance personality trait, combined with a healthy level of a related containment factor, is likely to be an ‘Asset’ of that leader. For example, suppose a leader has a healthy, dynamically high level of narcissism. In that case, it gives them a natural confidence to step into bright spotlights and step up to big challenges – be the ‘Righteous Rockstar.’ Suppose this performance personality combines with a healthy level of a related containment factor such as ‘Modesty.’ In that case, this will positively filter the performance personality. Hence, other people experience them as a ‘Modest Rockstar’ – someone who is confident but checks their ego, downplays their achievements, and shares the spotlight.
Leadership Achilles Heels
When there is a dynamic or dangerous level of a performance personality trait, and it combines with an unhealthy level of a related containment factor, then this is likely to be an ‘Achilles Heel’ of that leader. As an example, if a leader has a high level of narcissism, they may be the ‘Righteous Rockstar.’ Still, if this performance personality is poorly contained by a low level of ‘Modesty,’ then this is likely to filter the performance personality negatively, and other people may experience the leader as an ‘Immodest Rockstar’ – someone who’s arrogant, hogs the spotlight, and puts others down to build themselves up.
