02/28/2026
Leadership derailment is one of the most important — and least discussed — realities in leadership development.
Capable, intelligent, high-potential leaders rarely fail because they lack talent. More often, they derail because of how they respond under pressure as responsibility, visibility, and influence increase.
In this video, I break down what leadership derailment actually is (and what it is not), why early success can mask long-term risks, and the five most common derailment patterns identified through decades of executive research:
• Performance problems and misdirected priorities
• Breakdown in relationships and trust
• Resistance to learning, adaptation, or feedback
• Inability to build and develop teams
• A management perspective that becomes too narrow over time
We also discuss how self-awareness, structured feedback, and adaptability significantly reduce derailment risk.
Leadership failure is rarely sudden. It is often gradual, predictable — and preventable — for those willing to reflect and grow.
Watch the full discussion here:
https://youtu.be/kcHG3G5-sVE?si=wFRxN1LkmGdIbR0i
If you’re leading now — or preparing to — this conversation matters.
Leadership derailment explains why capable, intelligent, high-potential leaders fail over time—often not because they lack skill or ambition, but because of ...