I just had an hour long conversation with a colleague about leadership.  We both agreed when you're working under the authority of a good or bad leader, you know it.  We also agreed that we would rather deal with a bad leader with a mission than have a complete absence of leadership. If you are working toward a goal, and you realize (on your own or from the assistance of others) that you're going in the wrong direction, you make a correction and get back on track.  You rely on leadership to guide you in the right direction.  Even leaders who are the worst of egoists have a vision and turn that into a mission. Unfortunately, that vision and mission may include throwing you under a bus along the way.

If you read my post on servant-leadership, you saw the I represented leadership on a grid.  On the far left, we had egoism.  On the far right, we had altruism.  If we added zombieism to the group, you would see it off to the left of the chart.  Zombieism shouldn't really be on the chart because it is that absence of leadership.  But, we still need to put it into context.

Zombieism: When a zombie acts solely to feed itself.  You can find zombies exhibiting this orientation at every level of an organization.  The zombie thinks that it is a leader of a hoard but is a destructive force because it makes no leadership decisions, good or bad.  It merely feeds.  It mere exists.

Next we have different styles of leadership

7 Traditional Leadership Styles

1. Autocratic - To make a decision without input from others.
2. Coaching – To provide instruction to others.
3. Consensus – To problem solve by a group as a whole.
4. Consultative – To invite others to provide ideas.
5. Directing – To give authoritative instructions to.
6. Facilitating – To coordinate or expedite.
7. Supporting – To provide assistance during the process.

7 Zombie Leadership Styles

1. Anti-Autocratic - To not make a decision without input from others.
2. Anti-Coaching – To not provide instruction to others.
3. Anti-Consensus – To not problem solve by a group as a whole.
4. Anti-Consultative – To not invite others to provide ideas.
5. Anti-Directing – To not give authoritative instructions to.
6. Anti-Facilitating – To not coordinate or expedite.
7. Anti-Supporting – To not provide assistance during the process.

If you look at your boss, your boss's boss, or your boss's boss's boss, and they delegate ALL of their authority to others, it does not make them a good leader!  It makes them a zombie leader.

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