Disruption Isn’t Leadership—It’s Just Disruption

 Disruption Isn’t Leadership—It’s Just Disruption

Inspired by Adam Grant’s NYT op-ed on the myth of fear-based leadership

We love a bold leader. Someone who breaks the mold, says the unsayable, and pushes boundaries. But here’s the catch: being disruptive doesn’t automatically make someone effective.

In his recent New York Times op-ed, leading organizational psychologist and management scholar Adam Grant issues a wake-up call about today’s obsession with harsh, “fearless” leadership. He points to Elon Musk—often regarded as brilliant and ambitious, and increasingly held up as a model for what it means to be a strong leader. But as Grant makes clear, Musk’s tendency to belittle, intimidate, and fire en masse doesn’t make people better—it makes teams weaker. The data - from hundreds of studies involving over 150,000 people - is clear: fear doesn’t fuel performance. It drains it.

Grant’s piece reminded me of another classic case: basketball coach Bobby Knight. A coaching legend at Indiana, Knight built a legacy at least partly on discipline and rage. His sideline tantrums were infamous, his treatment of players often demeaning. Eventually, it caught up to him—costing him jobs, players, and trust.

Compare that to his protégé, Mike Krzyzewski of Duke. “Coach K” learned under Knight, but took a very different path. He emphasized respect, relationships, and loyalty. And while he didn’t shy away from tough conversations, he earned his players’ best through connection, not coercion. The results? Five national championships, 13 appearances in the “Final Four”, and decades of sustained excellence.

Even Steve Jobs eventually got the memo. Early in his career, Jobs burned bridges with his ego and intensity. But after being ousted from Apple, he came back humbler, wiser, and more human. As Grant notes, it was the changed Jobs—still driven, but now empathetic—who helped build Apple into the company we know today.

Here’s the bottom line: Disruption isn’t a leadership style. It’s a tactic. And it only works when it's aimed at systems, not people.

Three things to remember:

1. Respect is not weakness. Demanding excellence doesn’t require demeaning people. Leaders can set high bars andbe decent.
2. Fear wears thin. People might tolerate a toxic genius—but they won’t follow one forever. The best talent leaves when the culture turns.
3. Long-term wins come from trust. Whether you’re coaching a team or running a company, loyalty and belief go further than intimidation.

Disruption might grab headlines, but trust builds legacies. Let’s lead accordingly.