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christian counseling today
Vol. 20 no. 2
F
or some reason, most of us
make an innocent mistake
when trying to help a “leader.”
Because of his or her posi-
tion, we often assume something that
might not be true—“adulthood.” Keep
in mind, just because someone lives in
a 40-year-old body, he or she can still
have some “parts” that are exactly the
same as when they were 10. The differ-
ence is that now the person is running a
department, team, or an entire organiza-
tion instead of just cleaning his or her
room or walking the dog. Do not let the
“adult costume” fool you.
While it is impossible to look at
all the ways childhood disorders affect
leadership—both in ministry and busi-
ness—in the space permitted here,
we can examine one and give it a new
name: “ADHD Leadership.”
In my book,
Boundaries for Leaders
,
I tell the stories of many organizations
and teams that suffer from exactly this
condition. Their leaders are managing in
ways that create organizational ADHD,
and their followers are unable to respond
in a balanced way. The reason? It is
similar to working with some ADHD
children:
their inability to engage the
executive functions of the brain.
Here is
where you, as a counselor to leaders, can
have a significant impact.
Basically, the “executive functions”
are the faculties of the brain that allow
a person to get anything done. To reach
a goal or move something from point
“A” to “Z,” we need these important
neuro-cognitive abilities. Whether the
objective is meeting a sales goal, an
evangelism effort, or driving the car
from your house to a 7-11 store, the
brain must do three things in order to
make that happen: 1) Attend – It must
be able to focus on relevant stimuli and
information, 2) Inhibit – It must shut
out all distractions, and 3) Working
Memory – It must keep everything
current, and front and center.
So, in this case, to arrive safely at the
7-11, the brain must “attend” to each
necessary step in reaching the goal (the
proper lane, oncoming traffic, vehicle
speed, the next turn, etc.). You must,
likewise, “inhibit” distractions from
attending (texting or watching a video
while driving, having someone scream
at you, etc.). Finally, you must keep a
“working memory.” In other words,
you cannot simply be dropped into
the driver’s seat out of a time machine
because you would probably be clueless
on what to do next if you were unaware
what just happened. You have to be in a
continuous “flow” to get there.
Often, because of the personal issues
leaders sometimes wrestle with, they
lead themselves and others in ways the
brain cannot follow. Their executive
functions (attending, inhibiting and
working memory) are not engaged well.
Therefore, they are not always successful
in helping people reach their goals. The
reason is because the leader is not able
to attend to what is relevant, inhibit
what is not, and keep it all current in a
working memory without losing focus.
For example, leaders “cast a vision”
or have a “goal” they want to accom-
plish. They are motivated and set to
go out and conquer the world… until
the next day after the planning retreat.
Then, the next “big thing” becomes the
«
Henry Cloud, Ph.D.
leadership psyc
The Leader’s “Childhood” Disorders
