Imagine my surprise when the great Prof. Manfred Kets de Vries kicked off the #leadership workshop with … The Lord of the Rings!

At the Global Peter Drucker Forum bonus workshop, “Leading at the Edge of the Unknown”, Manfred and Oriane Kets de Vries entertained and enlightened us with insights from executive psychology.

The 7 Cs of Leadership

The 7 Cs of Leadership focus on the traits and skills leaders need to be effective, particularly in challenging or complex environments:

💡 Self-care – Taking care of one’s physical and mental health to sustain leadership capabilities.

💡Courage – The ability to take risks, confront challenges, and make difficult decisions.

💡Compassion – Empathy and understanding for others, fostering trust and strong relationships.

💡Care – Genuine concern for the well-being and development of others.

Creativity – Thinking innovatively and embracing new approaches to solve problems.

💡Complexity – The ability to navigate and lead through complexity and ambiguity.

💡Communicate – Clear and effective communication to align, inspire, and lead teams.

These Cs aim to create reflective leaders capable of handling uncertainty and stress while maintaining focus on personal and organizational growth.

Storytelling for Leadership Reflection

How to make CEOs more reflective?

Story!

Mirror neurons. What do you think of x’s story? How did you feel? What if he were your boss? Your husband?

To make CEOs more reflective, Professor Manfred Kets de Vries emphasizes the power of storytelling as a tool to engage their mirror neurons—those parts of the brain that activate when we observe others’ experiences, creating a sense of empathy and connection.

By sharing compelling, relatable stories, leaders can be guided to step outside their own experiences and consider situations from alternative perspectives. This process is not just intellectual; it taps into emotional resonance, encouraging deeper reflection on their own behaviors, choices, and impacts on others.

In small groups, someone can share a story and others can be asked: “What do you think of this person’s story?” or “How did you feel hearing it?”

This is invaluable, if sometimes painful, feedback.

Especially with questions like, “What if this person were your boss? Your colleague? Your spouse?”

This reflective process helps them to identify blind spots, consider the emotional and psychological effects of their leadership style, and understand how their actions might be perceived by others.

Storytelling becomes a mirror through which CEOs can see themselves more clearly, not just as leaders but as individuals. It fosters humility, compassion, and self-awareness—qualities essential for creating reflective, emotionally intelligent leaders who can navigate complex human dynamics with greater sensitivity and effectiveness.

Insights from psychology

Manfred Kets de Vries is professor of leadership development and organizational change at INSEAD. His research focuses on leadership and the dynamics of individual and organizational change, exploring the interface between management theory, psychoanalysis, and psychotherapy.

… and, he’s a very fun gentleman.

Congratulations, Manfred, on your new book on #storytelling. 🥳

Looks like maybe I did not spend the last 20 years on the wrong topic.🤔😇