The psychodynamic approach includes all the philosophies in psychology that see human reactions and work based on the connection of the energies within the person. These reactions happen when they are unconscious and also depend on the different structures of the character. Psychodynamic theories are often manifested in human leadership. It is also the study of human behaviours and choices undermined with regularly changing dynamism. These theories consider people to be exceptional and inconsistent beings with rich and myriad motivational drivers. Therefore, the approaches suggest there are justifications for every human action and wealth in a mental life, which lies without our conscience.
The way humans express their feelings also defines them, and each one of them is a product of their past involvement. Freud, in the early 20th century, proposed that the psychodynamic approach begins as a neurotic syndrome which grows in a person’s inner drivers. The overall behaviour helps us recognize the unconscious mental life. London Tavistock Institute, Zaleznik, Hirschhorn, and Mitscherlich applied psychoanalytic concepts to organizational life, and since then, psychoanalytic techniques and theory have become increasingly refined. Psychodynamic intentions focus on intimate theatre. These are people who took part in our lives for the better or worse part of it. Interacting with key individuals from our childhood creates response patterns observed over and over. Understanding a person’s “Core conflictual relationship themes” (CCRT) in adulthood helps one realize the motivation behind behaviour. Psychodynamics creates leader-follower relationships. These people unconsciously anticipate institutions and leaders to protect and guide them. These influence their self-governance, undermining their critical thinking and initiative. There is the fight-or-flight defence mechanism, which the involved use in their unconscious mode. People also tend to pair up with an influential person who helps them cope with anxiety, separation, and isolation. The social defence mechanism manifests itself where there is fear, anxiety, and unpredictability. The psychodynamic approach explains why people copy and admire leaders, and some identify with the aggressor.
Leadership is using motivational patterns to influence others. I prefer a leadership archetype created from the leader-follower relationship to one built from idealizing and copying the leader. In the leader-follower relationship, leadership reveals itself from different behaviours. These behaviours lead to personal regression and distraction. This is where one does something in their mind, not knowing they unconsciously depend on a leader. Humans, in their conscious mind, are not easily led. Using this leadership archetype makes it easy for a leader to have control of humans.
References
Peter G. Northouse, Leadership: Theory and Practice, Seventh Edition. © 2016 SAGE Publications, Inc
Guntrip, H. (1995). Personality structure and human interaction: The developing synthesis of psychodynamic theory. Karnac Books.
Cite This Work
To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below:
