In Leaders Who Lust, Barbara Kellerman and her coauthor, Todd Pittinsky, explore those highly atypical leaders whose appetites for power, money, sex, success, legitimacy and legacy can never be satisfied. No matter how much they consume!
They define lust as a “psychological drive that produces intense wanting, even desperately needing to obtain an object, or to secure a circumstance. When the object has been obtained or the circumstance secured, there is relief, but only briefly, temporarily. Then the drive for, the quest for more continues.”
As the title of the book suggests, among leaders six appetites are the most common. Leaders who lust for:
- power have a ceaseless craving for control.
- money have a limitless desire to accrue great, and then still greater wealth.
- sex go on constant, countless hunts for sexual gratification.
- success have an unstoppable need to achieve.
- legitimacy claim identity and equality, tirelessly.
- legacy long – effectively lifelong – to leave an imprint that is permanent.
Leaders in Business and Government
The book features case studies of cases in point. Primarily leaders in business and government such as, for example Roger Ailes who lusted for power. And Hillary Clinton who lusted for success. And Bill and Melinda Gates, both of whom lusted for, and still do, together and separately, legacy.
Leaders who Lust concludes with a section on the connection between lusting and leading. It points out that because lust is never ending, leaders who lust tend to last, last literally and figuratively. Followers need them to be forearmed and forewarned! Why? Because, while sometimes lust is a force for good, other times it’s a force for bad. Or even very bad.