Leadership success and derailment largely depends upon two factors
- The perceptions of others about your performance, which includes your relationships with them
- Your contributions or results produced for the good of the organization
Overwhelmingly, the first of these is the most critical in terms of leadership derailment. A leader may have produced outstanding results; yet if he/she has damaged relationships along the way, or has operated with a lack of integrity, derailment may be inevitable.
Universally, or across organizations, leadership derailers can be defined as the following
LEADERSHIP DERAILERS |
EXAMPLES |
1. Erosion or betrayal of trust |
lack of integrity (honesty, acting congruently with core values, showing respect, etc.), loss of credibility, over-focus on personal agenda, failure to meet commitments
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2. Failure to deliver and be accountable |
slow to act, studies issues and solutions too long, waits for instruction, short on results
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3. Failure to adapt |
resists change, difficulty with multiple priorities, lacks flexibility
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4. Lack of courage and decisiveness |
risk aversive, freezes under uncertainty, fails to assert views; avoids making decisions
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5. Creating or endorsing a dysfunctional work environment |
failure to support staff, displays inappropriate emotionality or lack of “emotional intelligence”, supports or tolerates hostile work environment
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6. Failure to develop people and organization |
fails to coach, mentor others, or provide developmental resources; and, unconcerned with bench strength,organizational growth planning issues
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7. Lacks forward-looking and inspirational approach |
lacks a vision, can’t rally troops to produce; does not build enthusiasm toward stretch goals
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8. Lack of objectivity and broadmindedness |
narrow views, undervalues diversity, strives to preserve personal wishes and bias, not perceived as fair, shows favoritism, does not consider sufficient views or sufficient data in decision making
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