Last updated on September 30th, 2026 at 12:23 pm
For years, a Phoenix operations director was the company’s rising star. Then his best people started leaving, and exit interviews pointed to habits no one had ever challenged.
Leadership failure rarely arrives as a single dramatic mistake. It builds quietly through small habits, such as skipping feedback, hoarding decisions, or tolerating poor behavior, that seem harmless on any given day.
The Phoenix director had real talent, which is exactly what made his habits so hard for anyone to question.
Research on leadership derailment shows that successful people are the ones most at risk, because early wins can hide growing weaknesses.
The sections below explain what derailment research reveals, the habits that most commonly lead to failure, the warning signs, and how to reverse course.
Table of Contents
What Research Says About Leadership Failure
The Center for Creative Leadership has studied executive derailment since the 1980s, and its research points to five common causes.
They are difficulty adapting to change, difficulty building and leading a team, failure to deliver results, a narrow strategic outlook, and problems with interpersonal relationships.
Jean Leslie and Ellen Van Velsor found an inability to develop or adapt in 61 percent of derailment cases and poor working relations in 57 percent.
Notably, derailed leaders were usually talented people whose early successes masked flaws that later mattered more.
The consequences reach well beyond the leader, since Gallup estimates managers account for at least 70 percent of the variance in team engagement.
11 Habits That Lead to Leadership Failure
1. Avoiding Feedback
Leaders who stop asking how they come across slowly lose touch with reality. Without feedback, small blind spots grow into career-ending flaws, as explained in building leadership self-awareness.
2. Micromanaging
Checking every detail tells capable people they are not trusted, and it keeps the leader too busy to think strategically. It is a hallmark of overly controlling, top-down leadership.
3. Avoiding Difficult Conversations
Letting poor performance or bad behavior slide feels kind in the moment but punishes the people doing good work. Unaddressed problems grow, and teams notice when a leader looks away, a pattern of hands-off leadership that abandons teams.
4. Breaking Small Promises
Missed follow-ups and forgotten commitments seem minor, but each one teaches people your word is unreliable. Consistency is the core of a leader’s personal integrity.
5. Taking Credit, Passing Blame
Leaders who claim team successes and blame others for failures lose loyalty quickly. People stop going the extra mile for someone who will not share the rewards.
6. Resisting Change
Relying on the methods that worked years ago is the most common derailment factor in CCL’s research. The world moves on, and leaders who do not adapt become obstacles.
7. Losing Emotional Control
Occasional outbursts, sarcasm, or visible frustration make people cautious about bringing problems forward. Calm under pressure is a learnable skill, built through managing emotions in stressful moments.
8. Surrounding Yourself With Yes-People
Hiring and rewarding people who always agree removes the warnings every leader needs. Healthy teams include people willing to say “I think this is a mistake.”
9. Neglecting People for Results
Treating people as tools for hitting targets burns them out and drives the best away. Leaders who show genuine care, as described in leading with real empathy, keep talent longer.
10. Stopping Learning
Leaders who believe they have nothing left to learn fall behind their teams and their industries. Reading, coaching, and honest reflection keep skills current.
11. Isolating Yourself
Leaders who stay in their offices, skip one-on-ones, or rely only on reports lose touch with what is really happening. Regular informal contact with people at every level keeps information flowing.
Warning Signs You Are on the Path to Failure
These signals tend to appear before a leader derails.
- Good people are leaving and you are not sure why.
- Meetings have gone quiet, and no one challenges your ideas.
- You hear about problems late, usually from someone else.
- You feel busier than ever but your team is achieving less.
- Feedback surprises you or makes you defensive.
Any one of these deserves attention, and two or more call for honest reflection.
How to Reverse Leadership Failure Habits
Reversing these habits is part of the lifelong work of leadership.
- Ask for Honest Feedback Now: Use an anonymous survey or a trusted colleague to learn which habits others see.
- Pick One Habit to Change: Choose the habit doing the most damage and work on it first.
- Replace, Don’t Just Remove: Swap each bad habit for a better one, such as replacing micromanaging with a weekly check-in, the approach used in habits that inspire your team.
- Tell Your Team: Say what you are working on and ask people to point out slips, which builds trust and accountability.
- Get a Coach or Mentor: An outside perspective helps you see patterns you have normalized.
- Track Progress: Check back with your team after a few months to see if they notice a difference.
Conclusion
The Phoenix director’s failure was not one bad decision but years of small habits no one challenged, including himself.
Leadership failure usually grows from habits like avoiding feedback, micromanaging, dodging hard conversations, and resisting change.
Derailment research shows talented leaders are most at risk, but the warning signs are visible early to those willing to look.
This week, ask two people you trust which of the habits above they have seen in you, and choose one to change.
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes leadership failure?
Research points to difficulty adapting, trouble building teams, failing to deliver results, a narrow outlook, and poor relationships, usually driven by habits that grow gradually.
What are the signs of a failing leader?
Warning signs include good people leaving, quiet meetings where no one challenges ideas, problems surfacing late, and feedback that surprises or angers the leader.
Why do successful leaders derail?
Early successes can hide weaknesses and make leaders overconfident, so habits that were harmless in junior roles become damaging as responsibilities grow.
Can a leader recover from bad habits?
Yes, by seeking honest feedback, changing one habit at a time, telling the team what they are working on, and checking progress after a few months.
Pious Clements writes about character, conduct, and the deeper questions of how a life is lived. He is the founder of The Conducts of Life, a site built on the belief that how you behave, not what you achieve, defines who you are. His writing draws from decades of observation, lived experience, and serious thinking about human nature, ethics, and self-development. He writes to be useful, not popular.