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Why Do Leaders Derail?

Can Derailing Leadership Be Avoided?

How many times have you heard about a leader who is smart–in fact “brilliant”, dedicated and who has excelled in an organization very rapidly?  Until . . . suddenly the leader fails because of bad behavior while under stress or pressure.  Many times these failures could have been avoided simply by being aware of his/her potential detailers–those patterns of behavior that can sabotage a leader’s job or career.

We use assessments that help the leader identify his/her most likely derailers–those strengths that generally have made him/her successful but can cause the leader to go crashing downward when caught off guard by high stress.

 

Example:

Just one example of a derailer might be a leader with charisma or a very colorful, dramatic personality.  This leader loves the spotlight and is often the center of attention in any meeting.  While this trait might initially boost a leader’s influence it often catches up with him if he relies too heavily on the attention and fails to follow through on the hype or promises made.  By being aware of this potential dereailer a leader can dial down the theatrics and make a conscious effort to listen more and invite others into the discussion.  Coaching is an effective tool to help the leader raise awareness, focusing on situations where it’s tempting to overuse this strength and creating a plan for avoiding potential derailment.

 

To learn more about assessing potential derailers and strengths, contact Kathy at 720-542-3324 or kathy@kathycooperman.com.

This article is an excerpt from the current newsletter:  News from Kathy Pennell Cooperman #constantcontact http://conta.cc/VILmOk

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