By Steve Harrington, J.D., Executive Director, National Association of Peer Specialists
Two bits of information recently came to me that, taken together, caused me to formulate the following, inescapable conclusion: persons with a mental illness, particularly those with schizophrenia, are destined to lead the world.
This conclusion is well-supported by social scientists and organizational theorists. Very recently, researchers have concluded that the best leaders for organizations of all types are those who know themselves best. Experience has shown that those who know themselves well, and are comfortable with who they are, relate to others in a humane, compassionate way. That, in turn, inspires workers with loyalty and a desire to become more creative and productive. Everyone wins! Gone is the attitude that productivity is best driven by cold-hearted bean counters who monitor every move it takes to create a widget.
One business author, Robert Thomas, CEO of Accenture Performance, uses current leaders as examples. In his new book, Crucibles of Leadership, Thomas writes that the best way for people to know themselves, and thus become more effective leaders, is through adversity. He cites cases where deaths and illnesses forced now-effective leaders to reevaluate their lives and reprioritize their values. The result: compassionate people who lead with their hearts and workers who have never been more happy, productive, and creative. Businesses, especially the most successful in the world, know this lesson well.
So, it struck me. Where would you go to find people who have experienced adversity and grown through the experience? Psych hospitals! (Or those who have been there.)
Complementing this revelation is another. I recently heard a respected psychiatrist, sitting on a panel of his peers, go through a litany of challenges persons with schizophrenia face. The doctor painted a pretty ugly (and, fortunately, unrealistic) picture of what life is like for all persons with schizophrenia. At the end of his presentation, an audience member asked if there could be anything positive resulting from schizophrenia.
“Oh, yes,” the doctor replied immediately. “Persons with this illness are often great problem solvers. They think ‘outside the box.’ Once you've had your sense of reality shaken, it's easier to take risks and be creative.” The doctor used Nobel laureate John Nash as an example of how schizophrenia can result in creative thinking.
I thought for a moment about my own reality challenges. Walls moved, ceilings collapsed, lines on the road shifted, and voices--oh, those voices telling me what to do! And then there was that day I had a stimulating conversation with an unseen companion on a street corner. That little incident sent me back to the hospital, where meds ended the conversation—but not its memory.
Then I remembered the words of a professor recommending me for a doctoral program in public administration.
“Steve, you just don't think like other people,” he said. “You come up with ideas and approaches that are totally unique. Your head just doesn't accept reality, and that challenges us to change our perception of reality. That's what creative problem-solving is all about. You don't just think outside the box—you don't even know there is a box!”
Here's the bottom line: Those of us who have been there know all the disadvantages of having a mental illness, especially one like schizophrenia, which can affect cognitive abilities and perceptions of reality. On the other hand, society appears on the brink of recognizing the value of serious life challenges, especially when those challenges are used to foster personal growth.
The professional must therefore work to build upon the person's strengths (such as the perspective of yours truly being a creative problem-solver) and use them as the motivating factors to enhance his/her recovery. As is illustrated above, we can look at strengths instead of just the illness.
I foresee a time when executive headhunters will prowl the hallways of our psychiatric hospitals, looking for new leaders for organizations of all types. Gone will be the days when executive job descriptions require an MBA. Instead, job descriptions will read:
This conclusion is well-supported by social scientists and organizational theorists. Very recently, researchers have concluded that the best leaders for organizations of all types are those who know themselves best. Experience has shown that those who know themselves well, and are comfortable with who they are, relate to others in a humane, compassionate way. That, in turn, inspires workers with loyalty and a desire to become more creative and productive. Everyone wins! Gone is the attitude that productivity is best driven by cold-hearted bean counters who monitor every move it takes to create a widget.
One business author, Robert Thomas, CEO of Accenture Performance, uses current leaders as examples. In his new book, Crucibles of Leadership, Thomas writes that the best way for people to know themselves, and thus become more effective leaders, is through adversity. He cites cases where deaths and illnesses forced now-effective leaders to reevaluate their lives and reprioritize their values. The result: compassionate people who lead with their hearts and workers who have never been more happy, productive, and creative. Businesses, especially the most successful in the world, know this lesson well.
So, it struck me. Where would you go to find people who have experienced adversity and grown through the experience? Psych hospitals! (Or those who have been there.)
Complementing this revelation is another. I recently heard a respected psychiatrist, sitting on a panel of his peers, go through a litany of challenges persons with schizophrenia face. The doctor painted a pretty ugly (and, fortunately, unrealistic) picture of what life is like for all persons with schizophrenia. At the end of his presentation, an audience member asked if there could be anything positive resulting from schizophrenia.
“Oh, yes,” the doctor replied immediately. “Persons with this illness are often great problem solvers. They think ‘outside the box.’ Once you've had your sense of reality shaken, it's easier to take risks and be creative.” The doctor used Nobel laureate John Nash as an example of how schizophrenia can result in creative thinking.
I thought for a moment about my own reality challenges. Walls moved, ceilings collapsed, lines on the road shifted, and voices--oh, those voices telling me what to do! And then there was that day I had a stimulating conversation with an unseen companion on a street corner. That little incident sent me back to the hospital, where meds ended the conversation—but not its memory.
Then I remembered the words of a professor recommending me for a doctoral program in public administration.
“Steve, you just don't think like other people,” he said. “You come up with ideas and approaches that are totally unique. Your head just doesn't accept reality, and that challenges us to change our perception of reality. That's what creative problem-solving is all about. You don't just think outside the box—you don't even know there is a box!”
Here's the bottom line: Those of us who have been there know all the disadvantages of having a mental illness, especially one like schizophrenia, which can affect cognitive abilities and perceptions of reality. On the other hand, society appears on the brink of recognizing the value of serious life challenges, especially when those challenges are used to foster personal growth.
The professional must therefore work to build upon the person's strengths (such as the perspective of yours truly being a creative problem-solver) and use them as the motivating factors to enhance his/her recovery. As is illustrated above, we can look at strengths instead of just the illness.
I foresee a time when executive headhunters will prowl the hallways of our psychiatric hospitals, looking for new leaders for organizations of all types. Gone will be the days when executive job descriptions require an MBA. Instead, job descriptions will read:
“Life-changing experience through adversity desired; mental illness a plus.”
Look out, world. We're taking over!
Look out, world. We're taking over!
Posted in May 12, 2011, Vol. 12, Issue 17 Recovery To Practice Newsletter.
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