I think the point for such leaders, unconscious though it may be, is to feel safe. There's something they're hoping never to have to experience or feel ever aga

I think the point for such leaders, unconscious though it may be, is to feel safe. There's something they're hoping never to have to experience or feel ever again, and this is what they're doing to keep that from happening. It's only ever going to be a temporary solution, but the parts of the person's psyche that are driving these decisions are probably pretty stuck in a difficult time when they felt powerless against the same sort of thing they're trying to avoid today, and they react from that immaturity. I'm armchair psychologizing, but I think the behavior of people who seek power for reasons other than to help people makes more sense if we realize they're not making decisions from a mature, adult part of their experience.