Why some Executive Directors in nonprofits are abusive to staff

In a "leadership" discussion last week with a grantmaker, we got around to poor morale in several of the nonprofits we've observed.  She pointed me to this piece positing that authority without status turns people into abusive tyrants.   She suggested that Executive Directors who lack status with fellow Executive Directors deal with their own feelings of smallness by taking it out on their staff.  Having authority but little perceived status can be a toxic combination.