From a previous blog, these questions were raised and I thought they were great and worth putting up in a general posting. As in other blogs, consider this a first response and one that hopefully can be elaborated over time.
What, in this context [of a leader's attachment identity] is an "attachment identity?"
First, it is useful to talk about how we use the concept of identity and then address "attachment identity" as a specific form of that concept.
A definition: Identity is an essential, core structure of an individual which is internally experienced as congruent with one’s self and externally observed through behavioral expressions that naturally occur as a function of this essential, core structure.
Identity is a concept that has had lots of research and many people thinking about it. We can give some examples. Think of a national identity. I know a friend who lives in the United States, has a US passport, loves the US, and who defines himself as Israeli. Think of a role identity. I know of an airline pilot who all his life wanted to be a pilot, achieved his dream, and who passionately experiences his identity as a pilot (not defined by the airline he flies for but by the role of pilot). And there are many other identities--kinship (father, mother, daughter, son, brother, sister), faith based (Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Atheist, etc.), organizational (Harvard grad, Rotarian, Democrat or Republican), and so on.
Second,one can speak of an attachment identity which may be experienced by a leader and may be hypothesized depending on the leader's behavioral expressions.
A definition: Attachment identity is a specific form of essential, core structure within an individual. The key component of that structure is an internally represented, working model of themselves and others which is either secure or insecure in relationship to their own anxiety. Depending on the nature of the working model, it allows the person to 1) self-soothe (or not), 2) to be accessible, responsive, and engaged with self and others in distressing or crisis situations (or not)1, and 3) to be exploratory, expressive, and productive (or not).
Is it the specific mental models you have in place of how you and others will act (therefore an internal thing), or is it how other people perceive you from an attachment perspective (an external thing)?
What is essential about an identity, particularly the way we use it in terms of leadership, is the natural expression of that identity in behavior.
Leaders can be recognized by virtue of the fact that they are moving in a direction, they have followers, and they influence those followers. We have found that not all people who demonstrate these three characteristics actually recognize or acknowledge themselves as a leader (whether consciously or unconsciously). If they don't experience the congruence of this self-definition as a leader, we also know that they create confusion for themselves and among their followers because confusion of their identity manifests in incongruent leadership behaviors (e.g., from an attachment theory perspective, anxiously insecure leaders are often seen as emotionally engaged with their followers and therefore liked by followers while failing to be effective at accomplishing the tasks associated with their leadership. The example used below illustrates this form of insecure attachment identity.).
So, foremost in the way we use this term is the internal identity, i.e. that congruent self-definition. What confirms the identity to an individual and to other observers is the external expression of behaviors congruent with the identity. For a leader to have a secure attachment identity, they would demonstrate certain characteristics. These might include, as a start: 1) being consistently accessible, responsive, and engaged particularly in times of distress;1 2) exhibiting deep understanding and appreciation of the followers’ wants and needs, capacities and limitations, while operating in the best interest of the whole and the follower; and 3) demonstrating trustworthiness across contexts including those difficult ones that require tough and potentially painful decisions.
One final comment. An individual who perceives a leader (or anyone else for that matter) as a safe haven and a secure base and actively seeks and receives that leader's support in times of distress is said to relate to that leader as a secure attachment figure. If a leader is consistently viewed by their followers as a secure attachment figure, one can hypothesize that the leader has a secure attachment identity.
What would be some examples of someone with a secure attachment identity vs. someone with an insecure attachment identity?
Secure Attachment Identity
A good example for me of someone with a secure attachment identity is a 36 year old Malawian, Chifundo Jairus Kachale, Chief Resident Magistrate of the Malawi Judiciary (Africa). I choose him for his remarkable character and also to highlight someone outside our normal circle.
Chifundo has risen within eight years to the highest office possible in the Magistrate Courts in Malawi. His next professional destination is likely the High Court. He is concerned with ethical governance in a nation known to be lacking in this area. In his role as magistrate, he has personally experienced numerous instances of corruption and has presided over many such cases. To date, his court remains the only one ever to summon a sitting State President to testify in criminal proceedings, to indict a sitting Vice-President for treason, and to convict a former speaker of the national assembly and cabinet minister for abuse of public office. He has personally committed to use the law as an instrument for social transformation.
However, what really strikes me in this regard is his relationship with his wife, Mary, who is also an outstanding lawyer in the Ministry of Justice in Malawi. She is studying for her PhD in nuclear energy law in London so that as Malawi enters into relationships with China to bring nuclear energy to the nation (which can already be projected), she will be equipped to protect Malawians’ environmental and human rights as a local expert through the legal system. An essential part of her personal story is that because she was exceptionally bright as a young girl in school, others were jealous and accused her of being a witch. This is the very worst fate any person in Malawi can experience (Witchcraft Legal Aid in Africa, IHP, http://tinyurl.com/64jooh6). It was only with great fortitude, the help of a friend, and her subsequent faith in God that she decided not to commit suicide and to continue her education.
To make a long story short, Chifundo and Mary met, fell in love, and decided to marry. Chifundo's family was adamantly opposed to this marriage because of these previous accusations, as were his friends. However, he stood his ground for Mary, as he has for many others in Malawi both in and out of the courtroom. He knew the truth about her and her character, and from an early age influenced particularly by his father, he knew about social justice. He stood for her. As she has said about him, "Often the real people who bring change are not the ones that get the credit. They are the ones who make the change possible. Many people look at me and all I've done as an activist, but I could never have done what I have done and will do if it weren't for Chifundo."
A leader with a secure attachment identity is one who 1) is recognized as "stronger and wiser" in line with the views of John Bowlby, father of attachment theory, 2) has a congruent self-definition of being secure in themselves and in relation to others, 3) knows who to seek out for their own security in times of distress or need, and 4) is consistently experienced by others as a safe haven and secure base. Chifundo demonstrates this capacity in multiple contexts with his wife and children, within his profession, and most importantly with himself.
Insecure Attachment Identity
Insecure attachment identity is the result of having insufficient secure attachment figures in one's life, therefore functioning from an internally represented, insecure working model, and not yet having developed earned security through lived experience.
An example may suffice.
I know a talented and inspirational, relational leader who behaviorally manifests evidence of an insecure attachment identity. In his case, he is extremely extroverted, affable, and a great story teller. As long as he can tell stories, be inspirational, and avoid responsibility for delivering on the essential tasks of his job, he is superb. However, a consistent failure to accomplish the outcomes necessary for his organization to flourish have systematically worn down his employees. While almost to a person they like him, they all to varying degrees recognize his unwillingness, or maybe inability, to 1) mobilize a coherent vision, 2) recruit and empower competent operational types who can act on the strategies and deliver the outcomes of the organization, and 3) hold himself and others in the organization accountable for specific results.
One can never know for certain what another person is experiencing internally. However, from external observation it is clear that this leader manifests a hyperactive attachment strategy which would suggest an insecure attachment identity. For example, his behavior systematically evokes a need for support and intervention from his Board Chair. While he has been successful at getting other Executive Team members to cover for him in delivering on his key performance indicators, on several big projects he has seriously failed and yet been successful at covering up enough to remain in the job. And, it would appear that his self-doubts, which regularly crop up, are managed but not transformed and the awareness avoidance and/or denial of his own ineffectiveness is substantial.
The effects of this leadership behavior include morale problems; organizational inefficiency; inappropriate use of financial, facility, and human resources; constant pressure as a result of the poor use of these resources; and failure to confront performance issues in the culture. Not to paint the picture too bleakly, there are many individuals in the organization attempting to compensate for these leadership problems and much good will from customers because of the unique products offered. However, the organization as a whole has high employee turnover, insufficient organizational transparency, and a sense of potential consistently thwarted by various factors apparently out of any one person or department’s control. I personally believe this can be traced at least in significant part to the leader’s insecure attachment identity and associated behaviors.
My experience of this leader suggests a lack in his ability to tap into the true gifts and talents of the organization's employees, to release their creativity that energizes a culture, and to activate their full commitment and productivity. As Mikulincer and Shaver (2007, p.441) have written, "From an attachment perspective, the key factor in a leader's failure to empower followers is the development of an insecure attachment bond, because of the leader's lack of sensitivity and responsiveness to followers' genuine and legitimate needs. Also important are follower's distrust, ambivalence, and rejection of the leader's distorted approach to 'caregiving.'"2 This lack of sensitivity, from our attachment perspective, results from an insecure attachment identity.
1 Johnson, S. (2008). Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love. Little, Brown, and Company: New York.
2 Mikulincer, M. and Shaver P.R. (2007). Attachment in Adulthood: Structure, Dynamics, and Change. The Guilford Press: New York.
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