Drive in the Shadows: The Overheated Engine
While drive is the engine of human energy and can power us to great feats, it can also overheat. After all, every strength - when overused - has a “shadow” side.
At its best, driven leaders are ambitious and goal-directed, persistent and proactive, and often excel in leadership positions. However, when leaders are under pressure and not self-monitoring, these traits can be pushed to their limits. Drive can morph into narcissism, trigger burnout in teams, and foster hypercompetitive, control-obsessed behavior. Put simply: these leaders can show up as domineering.
Throughout history, these are the types of leaders who may over-rely on dominance to climb social hierarchies (or get promoted), rather than relying on prestige and social learning. Fear, threat, and compulsion may be tools in their toolbox - rather than more socially effective forms of influence that inspire true followership.
Narcissism and the Drive to Feel Special
Narcissism is a term that gets thrown around a lot today - and for good reason. In America’s self-obsessed, reality-TV-soaked culture, narcissism thrives. Many people define narcissism as an excessive sense of self-admiration, self-centeredness, or vanity - and at its extreme, it certainly shows up that way. The rise in influencer culture has only accelerated this trend.
However, at its core, narcissism stems from a very real and normal human drive: the drive to feel special. For that reason, narcissism exists in all of us, but it varies greatly in degree. In highly driven leaders, it can veer into more dangerous territory - manifesting as a sense of superiority, entitlement, and a brittle ego easily shattered by critique.
To borrow the words of Fin Tutola (played by Ice-T on Law & Order: SVU), “narcissism is a learning disability.” The brittle, self-focused ego can interfere with true learning and sustainable high performance needed in today’s ever-changing world.
When Drive Becomes Hypercompetitive
Another facet of unfettered drive is hypercompetitivenes. Leaders tipped past a healthy level of drive may redirect their competitiveness toward others rather than toward personal growth - undermining team effectiveness.
The Burnout Risk for High-Drive Leaders and Their Teams
Highly driven leaders often unknowingly push their teams toward burnout. Their high energy and relentless proactivity can cause them to assume that everyone on their team operates at the same pace and intensity. The result? Teams end up exhausted - physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Drive as an Engine: Use It, Don’t Let It Overheat
Drive is, without question, an engine that powers human productivity and leadership success. Its associated strengths - energy, initiative, ambition - are vital in today’s fast-paced, high-pressure business environments.
But it is also an engine that must be maintained. When it overheats, leaders must pause, reflect, and investigate what’s driving their behavior - especially their need to feel special - and how it’s affecting their teams.
After all, no leader can be truly effective if they’re pushing their team to the brink.
Key References
Akaighe, G., Topakas, A., & Hildenbrand, K. (2022, August). Leader narcissism and team burnout: A longitudinal moderated mediation study. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2022(1).
Deeper Signals. (n.d.). The Core Drivers Diagnostic. Deeper Signals. Retrieved August 27, 2025, from https://www.deepersignals.com/documents/the-core-drivers-diagnostic
Khizar, H. M. U., Tareen, A. K., Mohelska, H., Arif, F., Hanaysha, J. R., & Akhtar, U. (2023). Bad bosses and despotism at workplace: A systematic review of the despotic leadership literature. Heliyon, 9(9), e19535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19535
Malkin, C. (2015). Rethinking narcissism: The Secret to Recognizing and Coping with Narcissists. Harper Perennial.