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Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Distinguished Clinical Professor of Leadership Development and Organizational Change

Biography

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries is the Distinguished Clinical Professor of Leadership Development and Organisational Change and the Raoul de Vitry d'Avaucourt Chaired Professor of Leadership Development, Emeritus, at INSEAD. He brings a different view to the much-studied subjects of leadership and the dynamics of individual and organisational change. Bringing to bear his knowledge and experience of economics (EconDrs, University of Amsterdam), management (ITP, MBA, and DBA, Harvard Business School), and psychoanalysis (Canadian Psychoanalytic Society and the International Psychoanalytic Association), he scrutinises the interface between international management, psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, and dynamic psychiatry. His specific areas of interest are leadership, career dynamics, executive stress, entrepreneurship, family business, succession planning, cross-cultural management, team building, coaching, and the dynamics of corporate transformation and change. Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries directs The Challenge of Leadership Executive Education programme.

A clinical professor of leadership and organisational change, he held the Raoul de Vitry d'Avaucourt Chair of Leadership Development at INSEAD from September 1992 to March 2013. He is the founder of the INSEAD Global Leadership Centre, the programme director of INSEAD's top management seminar The Challenge of Leadership, and the scientific director of the INSEAD Executive Master in Change. He has received the INSEAD Distinguished Teacher Award five times. He has held professorships at McGill University, the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales, Montreal, and the Harvard Business School, and has lectured at management institutions around the world.

Financial Times, Le Capital, Wirtschaftswoche, and The Economist rated Manfred Kets de Vries as one of the world's top fifty leading management thinkers, as well as one of the most influential contributors to human resource management. In 2008, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Leadership Association (the Leadership Legacy Project), being viewed as one of the world’s six founding professionals in the development of leadership as a field and discipline.

He is the author, co-author or editor of forty-nine books and has published over 400 papers as articles or chapters in books. His books and articles were translated into thirty-one languages. He is a member of seventeen editorial boards. He has been elected a Fellow of the Academy of Management. In 2011, he was awarded the Doctor Honoris Causa title by the IEDC-Bled School in recognition of his contributions to leadership development and research. In 2001, he received the Harry and Miriam Levinson Award (Organizational Consultation division) from the American Psychological Association for his contributions to the field of consultation. He is a founding member of the International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organizations (ISPSO), and in 2009 he became its Lifetime Distinguished Member. Kets de Vries is also the first non-American recipient of the International Leadership Award from the International Leadership Association (ILA) for “his contributions to the classroom and the boardroom”. In 2010, he received the Freud Memorial Award from the Dutch Psychoanalytic Institute in acknowledgement of his exceptional work on the interface between psychoanalysis and organisations.

Kets de Vries is a consultant on organisational design/transformation and strategic human resource management to leading US, Canadian, European, African, and Asian companies. As an educator and consultant, he has worked in more than forty countries.

He was awarded an Officer in the Order of Oranje Nassau by the Dutch government. He was the first fly fisherman in Outer Mongolia and is a member of New York's Explorers Club. In his spare time, he can be found in the rainforests or savannas of Central and Southern Africa, the Siberian taiga, the Ussuri Krai, Kamchatka, the Pamir and Altai Mountains, Arnhemland, or within the Arctic Circle.

Latest posts

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Leadership & Organisations

How Leaders Can Avoid the Hubris Trap

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Overcoming the hubris syndrome requires a dose of reality, humility and humour.

Leadership & Organisations

In Praise of Boredom

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Monotony can ignite creativity, giving rise to new adventures and fresh beginnings.

Career

How To Align What You Say With What You Do

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Bridging the divide between best intentions and actual behaviour.

Leadership & Organisations

Escape the Grip of Greed and Envy

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Six steps to overcome the twin terrors of greed and envy and embrace being “good enough”.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

How to Handle Foolish People

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Exploring the roots of stupidity and strategies to combat the ignorance of others.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

Letting Go of the Urge to Rescue

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Exploring the motivations behind our need to help others and embracing a balanced approach to offering assistance.

Career

The Psychological Strategies of Influencers

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Understanding the psychology behind why influencer marketing works.
1 comment

Career

Breaking the Cycle of Self-Sabotage

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

A roadmap for identifying and overcoming the self-defeating habits that hold you back.
1 comment

Career

Transcending the Victim Mentality

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

How to overcome feeling like a victim and create a positive, hopeful attitude to life.

Leadership & Organisations

How Storytelling Makes You a Better Leader

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Purposeful storytelling isn’t show business, it’s good business.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

How to Break Free From Herd Mentality

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Nurturing independent thought can help us overcome dangerous sheeple behaviour and groupthink.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

How to Change Someone’s Mind

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Powerful storytelling can awaken curiosity and challenge people to shift their outlook.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

Why The World is Attracted to Neo-Authoritarian Leaders

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Leaders like Donald Trump do not rise in a vacuum. But what draws people to authoritarian rulers?
1 comment

Career

Ten Steps Towards a More Fulfilling Life

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

The journey towards a more fulfilling existence starts within you.

Leadership & Organisations

Why Leaders Won’t Stop Waging Wars

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

War brings out the worst in people and destroys the very foundations of humanity.

Leadership & Organisations

Finding Meaning in Life

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Create a compelling self-narrative based on the five pillars that influence the way we experience meaning.
1 comment

Career

Burnout Won’t Prevent Itself

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

While people make sure to charge their phones, they don’t always take the time to recharge themselves.

Leadership & Organisations

Taming Your Inner Critic

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Eight concrete ways to lead a more contented life.

Leadership & Organisations

In Praise of Dictators: A Satire

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Liberal democracies are on the decline.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

Into the Mind of White-Collar Criminals

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

What society and business schools can do to stop corporate crimes.

Leadership & Organisations

Carpe Diem: Don’t Postpone Your Dreams

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Far from a hedonistic cry, carpe diem instructs us to live a life of meaning.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

Seven Ways to Put Procrastination Behind You

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Don’t chalk it up to a lack of motivation.

Leadership & Organisations

Post-Pandemic, Firms Need Chief Social Connectivity Officers

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

In this new hybrid working environment, people shouldn’t go to the office to stare at their computer, but to connect.

Leadership & Organisations

Covid Has Accentuated Our Every Vice

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Of all seven deadly sins, leaders need to guard against pride.

Leadership & Organisations

Is Stargazing Your Preferred Management Style?

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

For too many leaders, astrology acts as a crutch that gives them a false sense of control in an uncertain world.
6 comments

Leadership & Organisations

What Distinguishes the Super Rich From the Rest of Us

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Peeking into the inner theatre of the seriously wealthy.

Leadership & Organisations

Six Steps to Overcome Shame

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

As old as time and very much universal, feelings of shame can lead to self-destructive behaviour in even the best of leaders.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

Two CEOs, No Drama: Ground Rules for Co-Leadership

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

The co-CEO model can actually work. Here’s how.

Leadership & Organisations

Our Addiction to Charismatic Leaders Needs to Stop

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

The antidote to narcissistic leaders who coast on their charisma is a paradigm shift in education.
9 comments

Career

The Connections Between Love and Work

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Seven lessons about relationships that could save your career.

Leadership & Organisations

Bluebeard Revisited: Knowledge Is Power

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Long seen as a cautionary tale about women’s curiosity, it should be reinterpreted as the story of a woman’s emancipation.

Leadership & Organisations

How to Tame a Belligerent Colleague

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Antagonistic behaviour is usually rooted in low self-esteem.

Leadership & Organisations

How Technology Threatens Mental Health – Especially if You’re Inauthentic

P. Korzynski, C. Rook, E. Florent Treacy, M. F. R. Kets de Vries

When the personality you show the world doesn’t match your true self, it can sap the energy you would otherwise need to deal with technostress.

Leadership & Organisations

Recognising the Red Flags of Workplace Mental Health

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Organisations have a responsibility towards their staff.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

How I Taught the ‘Team from Hell’ to Trust Each Other

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Virtual team coaching can help turn around dysfunctional teams.

Leadership & Organisations

How Leaders Can Cultivate Patience in an Impatient World

Nine ways to develop this important “muscle” and reap its mental health benefits.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

Seven Ways Leaders Can Prepare for Post-Pandemic Times

Avoid knee-jerk reactions when creating a plan for the future.

Leadership & Organisations

What Will Life Be Like After the Pandemic?

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Having exposed society’s dysfunction, the COVID-19 crisis invites us to rethink our future.
7 comments

Leadership & Organisations

Coping With Life in Lockdown

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

What if we used the COVID-19 crisis to reconnect with others and ourselves?
4 comments

Leadership & Organisations

Why Leaders Should Embrace Their Dark Side

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Not acknowledging your shadow is a barrier to being an authentic leader.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

Fighting the Loneliness Epidemic

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

How individuals and firms can take action when loneliness becomes a preoccupying concern.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

Is Paranoia Widespread in Your Firm? You’re Not Alone

Trust remains a rare commodity in the workplace. Here’s what management can do about it.

Leadership & Organisations

Want More Creative Breakthroughs? Slow Down

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Constant busyness is what stands between you and more eureka moments.

Leadership & Organisations

If You’re Feeling Drained, Here’s Why

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Pay attention to your personal “energy barometer” as it reflects your inner happiness.
4 comments

Leadership & Organisations

Is Greed Destroying Your Soul?

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Greed is less about accumulating wealth than filling an inner void.
2 comments

Leadership & Organisations

Whatever It Is, I’m Against It

For real societal change, we should build bridges, not burn them.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

The Icarus Syndrome: Execs Who Fly Too Close to the Sun

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Leaders always need to keep hubris in check.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

Will You End Up as Digital Roadkill?

Caroline Rook & Manfred F. R. Kets-de-Vries

Most of us are so digitally connected that we have become utterly disconnected.

Leadership & Organisations

How Firms Can Avoid the Mediocrity Trap

Due to envy or insecurity, B-players may fail to hire the best people.
2 comments

Leadership & Organisations

The Cure for the Loneliness of Command

CEOs are quickly derailed without a sense of community.
2 comments

Leadership & Organisations

How Regret Can Be Your Friend

When managed properly, regret is a great decision-making tool.

Leadership & Organisations

Have We Reached the Limit of Individualism?

From fake self-esteem to narcissistic leadership, we all bear the high costs of living in an “I” world.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

Trust: The Corporate Wellness Initiative of the Future

Manfred Kets de Vries & Katharina Balazs

What if wellness was built directly into corporate DNA instead of being sold to us?
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

Is Your Organisation a Cult?

Beware of the cultish techniques that have crossed into the workplace.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

The Fine Line Between Stubbornness and Stupidity

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

One pathway to greatness is the ability to change one’s mind when proven wrong.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

How to Coach a CEO

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

Successful coaching involves working with – not against – an individual’s resistance.
3 comments

Career

The 10-Point Stress Audit

Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries

What excessive stress looks like and what you can do about it.
2 comments

Leadership & Organisations

The Pursuit of Money: A Cautionary Tale

Distorted beliefs about money often have their roots in childhood.
1 comment

Leadership & Organisations

Once You Have It All, What’s Next?

Where to look for answers to the existential questions many of us grapple with.
3 comments

Leadership & Organisations

What Can Be Done About Bullies at Work?

Stamping out bullying is an uphill battle for everyone involved.
4 comments

Leadership & Organisations

Are You Addicted to Power?

The design of firms fosters power intoxication in their leaders.

Leadership & Organisations

The Four Types of Dysfunctional Executives and How to Handle Them

M. F. R. Kets de Vries, C. Rook

Basic understanding and empathy can go a long way in helping toxic leaders recover their best selves.

Leadership & Organisations

Beyond Coaching Psychobabble: Let the Buyer Beware

The advertising pitches of many coaches raise false expectations and seem designed to fool the gullible.
7 comments

Leadership & Organisations

Do CEOs Deserve Their Pay?

The myths that drive the CEO pay bonanza.
2 comments

Leadership & Organisations

Fighting Against Dictatorship

Dictatorial types gain and maintain power through a number of social processes and psychological dynamics.
16 comments

Leadership & Organisations

Corporate Heaven: The ‘Authentizotic’ Organisation

How to create an organisation where people find meaning in, and are captivated by, their work.