negative toxic leadership profile jordan peterson

Career Highlights
University of Toronto psychology professor and practicing clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson has received far more media notoriety for his outspoken beliefs on the exercise of free speech and on conventional morality. His best-selling book 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos likewise propelled the professor to pop psychology fame, diminishing somewhat Peterson’s credibility as an expert in his field or as an astute academic in spite of the fact that he has in fact published hundreds of papers in peer-reviewed journals (“About Jordan Peterson,” 2019). Moreover, Peterson continues to garner considerable attention on the speaking circuit and retains his Professorial post at the reputable University of Toronto.
In 2018, Peterson released his second general audience publication: the book Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief. In this book, Peterson veers from the realm of pop psychology to tackle the philosophical conundrums he has concerned himself in more recent years in his career as a lecturer. Peterson also speaks and writes about the Bible as an instructional tool and espouses Biblical morality (“About Jordan Peterson,” 2019; Thagard, 2018). His tacit embrace of Islamophobia and insensitivity to political correctness as integral to directing civil public discourse in a divisive society has earned Peterson considerable criticism. In fact, Cambridge University rescinded an invitation extended to Peterson to receive a fellowship there (McQuigge, 2019). Furthermore, a New Zealand bookstore chain removed Peterson’s books from their shelves in the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque bombings, referring to the author’s sympathy for Islamophobia (Shakeri, 2019). Ironically, Shakeri (2019) points out that the same bookstore in New Zealand continues to sell copies of Mein Kampf. Given his ability to masterfully manipulate minds through the conventional press, Peterson maintains a healthy social media following with half a million Instagram followers and a podcast garnering about a million listeners per episode (“About Jordan Peterson,” 2019). His career is currently characterized far more by his celebrity as a pop psychologist and self-proclaimed social commentary philosopher than by his role as clinical psychologist.
Traits, Behaviors, Styles
Jordan Peterson’s behaviors convey volumes about the leader’s traits and styles. For example, Peterson proudly poses with a fan wearing a T-short reading not only “I’m a Proud Islamaphobe,” but also listing a litany of supposedly Muslim-only crimes like “rape,” “pedophilia,” and “wife-beating,” (Shakeri, 2019, p. 1). The defiant look on Peterson’s face mirrors his opinion that gender-neutral language is an affront to civil rights (McQuigge, 2019). Peterson’s disregard for the power of language for promoting social justice parallels similar behaviors including his reactions to being accused of professional misconduct in his private clinical practice (Goldsbie, 2018). Based on his behaviors, then, Peterson’s personality and leadership style tends to be autocratic. Instead of actively listening to opponents or those with different opinions, Peterson silences critics with disparaging comments, claiming for example that social inequities are actually justifiable because they are based on “biological differences,” (Thagard, 2018, p. 1). Lindsay, Watola & Lovelace (2018) would also characterize Peterson’s leadership style and traits as akin to “negative leadership,” or “toxic leadership,” in that he “can be charming when the occasion fits,” have “devoted fans,” and “rarely takes blame or shares glory,” (p. 18).
His public persona remains firmly iconoclastic, particularly with regards to Peterson’s brash and vehement antagonism towards political correctness, showcasing his traits and tendencies as a charismatic leader too (Reh, VanQuaquebeke & Giessner, 2015). As with many other charismatic leaders who rely on ethical binaries and emotional appeals, Peterson supports the use of the Bible as the barometer of morality in spite of the logical fallacies inherent in doing so (Thagard, 2018). Given the means by which he incites impassioned responses to current topics linked to identity and social justice, Peterson’s autocratic and charismatic leadership style have endeared him to some and irked many.
Organizational Circumstances
Jordan Peterson has been in the news, primarily featured as a leader in social commentary. The organizational circumstances precipitating the leader’s fame are relatively complex. For one, the University of Toronto has little to do with Peterson’s notoriety. Peterson’s work at the University of Toronto and in academia would not have garnered him anywhere close to the level of fame and fortune that he enjoyed after publishing his first pop psychology book 12 Rules for Life, and then easing his way into the lecture and conference circuit. The self-help and pop-psychology subcultures have provided the primary organizational structure supports for Peterson’s success. Peterson has also capitalized on the popularity of Christianity, appealing to audiences entrenched in Christian organizations (“About Jordan Peterson,” 2019; Thagard, 2018). Media organizations have welcomed the controversial public figure, allowing Peterson to straddle the mainstream and the underground circuits using both social media and conventional media outlets. Peterson received more attention than ever before due to two organizational circumstances: being disinvited to Cambridge University and being banned from some New Zealand bookshelves.
LFS Framework
The leader-follower-situation framework can be readily applied to the Peterson case. As Haller, Fischer & Frey (2018) point out, the LFS framework supports a power-based process model, “which assumes that a leader's personal power is an intervening variable in the relationship between ethical leadership and follower outcomes,” (p. 1). Attachment theory also plays into Peterson’s success in garnering loyal followers and even benefitting tremendously from his critics. When Peterson is rejected by organizations like Cambridge, and when his books are summarily banned from bookstores on the grounds that they might be used to stimulate interest in committing hate crimes, Peterson receives additional fuel for his war against political correctness. After all, Peterson’s primary gripe in recent media appearances has been that political correctness stifles civil liberties, not that politically correct discourse can be used to engage marginalized communities and create multilateral discursive practices. Peterson can now point to Cambridge as support for his premise that political correctness impedes freedom of speech. In fact, the situations in which Peterson flourishes are only those in which his supporters remain devoutly committed to his charismatic style and involved in his subversive community. The LFS model shows how Peterson’s autocratic, charismatic, toxic leadership style creates follower attachments, allowing Peterson to control potential crisis situations and turn those setbacks into opportunities for personal gain.
Advice for Jordan Peterson
While it is difficult to offer advice to someone who has successfully navigated the intricacies of consumer trends, I would strongly advise Peterson to consider the logical fallacies in his arguments. As Thagard (2018) points out, Peterson’s fallacies could prove detrimental to his credibility as a psychology professor. I would also advise Peterson to consider the fact that social justice cannot be achieved via the antagonistic means he uses. If Peterson were as concerned about universal ethics as he was, then he would recognize the logical fallacies in his arguments against civil discourse and political correctness. Yet Peterson has thoroughly endeared himself with his fans and seems more interested in gaining momentum and feeding the industry he has created than he is in actually reaching any tangible social justice goals. Ultimately, Peterson needs little help in his career, for even if he were to lose his post with the University of Toronto, he would remain a successful writer, speaker, and public figure—albeit a negative leader who does little to promote civil rights, social justice, or freedom of speech.




References
“About Jordan Peterson,” (2019). Jordan Peterson. https://www.jordanbpeterson.com/about/
Goldsbie, J. (2018). When your psychologist goes viral. Canadaland Show. https://www.canadalandshow.com/how-jordan-petersons-fame-affected-his-private-practice/
Haller, D.K., Fischer, P. & Frey, D. (2018). The power of good. Frontiers in Psychology 02 July 2018 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01094
Lindsay, D., Watola, D.J. & Lovelace, J. (2018). Why negative leadership matters. http://www.inovlider.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Negative-Leadership.pdf#page=31
McQuigge, M. (2019). Cambridge University cancels fellowship offer for Jordan Peterson. HuffPost. https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2019/03/21/cambridge-university-cancels-fellowship-offer-for-jordan-peterson_a_23698206/?utm_hp_ref=ca-jordan-peterson
Reh, S., Van Quaquebeke, N. & Giessner, S.R. (2015). Leader charisma. Paper presented at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting 2015, Vancouver, CA, August 7th – 11th.
Shakeri, S. (2019). Jordan Peterson book pulled from Whitcoulls shelves after Christchurch mosque attacks. HuffPost. https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2019/03/22/jordan-peterson-book-pulled-from-whitcoulls-shelves-after-christchurch-mosque-attacks_a_23698846/?utm_hp_ref=ca-jordan-peterson
Thagard, P. (2018). Jordan Peterson’s flimsy philosophy of life. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/hot-thought/201802/jordan-peterson-s-flimsy-philosophy-life