Why the World Is Full of Bad Leaders and Why Servant Leadership is the Cure
Tom MacPherson Le Maire is an expert in building skin care and cosmetic brands across omni channel distribution, specialising in 5-star luxury hotel partnerships and export markets across EMEA & LATAM.
Tom has a background in Psychotherapy and Counselling and has spent his career in building brands in the skin care and wellness spaces. He is an expert in leadership after years of managing and mentoring multi-level teams. He has held leadership roles with giants like Clarins for the last decade. He has sought to amplify the voices of SME’s, most recently at 111SKIN, where he transformed international expansion and their wellness division. He has done this through building trusted relationships, mentoring his team, and meaningful external stakeholder relationships. As of 2026 he has founded his own brand advisory and consulting company, employing commercially sound experience led growth strategies that align luxury, performance and consumer trust. He is a true student of leadership.
Do you regularly witness bad leadership in the workplace? Do you despair with the number of insipid leaders on the world scene? Do you wonder how these people made it into these positions?
Leadership has never been in shorter supply or greater demand. From government offices to corporate boardrooms, the global crisis of bad leadership is eroding trust, engagement, and innovation. We see it in toxic workplaces, in politics driven by ego rather than empathy, and in decision-making that prizes short-term wins over long-term well-being.
It’s easy to blame individuals, but the real problem is structural. The world keeps rewarding the wrong kind of leader.
The cult of the “strong” leader
Modern leadership culture often mistakes dominance for strength. We idolise charisma, confidence, and control, while undervaluing humility, emotional intelligence, and service.
In many organisations, leaders rise because they’re skilled at managing up, not lifting others. They know how to perform leadership, talking about vision, growth, and disruption, without embodying its deeper purpose. The result? A generation of leaders who lead from ego, not empathy.
Bad leadership isn’t always malicious, it’s often the product of flawed incentives. When systems prioritise short-term metrics over human impact, even well-intentioned leaders can drift toward self-preservation instead of service.
The hidden cost of self-centred leadership
The impact of poor leadership goes far beyond morale. Gallup research consistently shows that up to 70% of employee engagement variance is tied directly to managers. When leaders lack empathy and integrity, it cascades through entire organisations, productivity drops, turnover spikes, and innovation stalls.
On a societal level, self-centred leadership fuels polarisation, distrust, and disillusionment. People stop believing that leaders act in the public interest and start assuming everyone at the top is in it for themselves.
The alternative: Servant leadership
If traditional leadership is about power and control, servant leadership flips the model. Servant leadership is rooted in a simple but radical premise. Leaders exist to serve their people, not the other way around.
A servant leader asks, “What do my team and community need from me to thrive?” rather than “What can I get from them?”
This philosophy doesn’t mean being passive or self-sacrificing, it means leading with empathy, accountability, and a long-term perspective. It’s the difference between managing a company and stewarding a mission. I have had people in my career say, “you’re too soft on your team, or “you’re too kind to your clients, you need to be firmer, harder” I disagree in the most absolute terms, the best relationships are where individuals feel you are partnering with them, so the outcome is mutually beneficial not one sided. I always add “do not mistake kindness and empathy with weakness”
Why servant leadership works
Organisations that embrace servant leadership outperform those that don’t culturally and financially. Studies have shown that leaders who demonstrate humility and empathy inspire higher levels of engagement, collaboration, and innovation.
When employees feel genuinely supported, they don’t just work harder, they care more. That emotional investment becomes a competitive advantage.
Companies that have embedded servant leadership into their cultures, empowering employees to make decisions, lead from any level, and connect their daily work to a higher purpose. The results speak for themselves. Low turnover, strong customer loyalty, and enduring brand reputation.
How to lead as a servant
Servant leadership isn’t abstract, it’s a set of daily practices. Here are five to start with:
Listen before you lead. Great leaders make people feel heard. Listening creates trust, and trust creates alignment.
Put people before profit. Long-term value is built by taking care of the humans who create it.
Empower, don’t control. Replace micromanagement with mentorship. Give people ownership, not just orders.
Stay humble. Leadership is a privilege, not a status symbol. The best leaders are confident enough to share credit and take blame.
Serve a higher purpose. Whether it’s sustainability, equity, or innovation, connect your leadership to something larger than yourself. Don’t use your position or title as an ego trip.
The bottom line
The world isn’t suffering from a lack of leaders, it’s suffering from a lack of servant leaders. As long as power is treated as a prize rather than a responsibility, bad leadership will remain the norm.
But those willing to flip the script to lead through service, empathy, and vision will define the next era of success. The future doesn’t belong to the loudest voices in the room. It belongs to those humble enough to listen, wise enough to serve, and bold enough to lead with purpose.
Read more from Tom MacPherson Le Maire
Tom MacPherson Le Maire, Founder and Chief Growth Officer at Atelier Vitae
Tom MacPherson Le Maire is a luxury skincare expert with over 20 years of experience, specializing in spa and hotel channels. He has worked with brands such as The Body Shop, Clarins, Intraceuticals, Bioeffect, and 111SKIN. This year, he founded his own growth and advisory company, Atelier Vitae, partnering with brands and hospitality players to drive experience-led growth strategies. His mantra: The Lion does not concern itself with the opinions of the sheep.
