Why leaders fail: exploring the darkside
Abstract
Purpose
With half of those in leadership positions maybe falling short, the purpose of this paper is to review literature on why leaders fail.
Design/methodology/approach
A number of recent journal articles, book chapters and books were examined.
Findings
The paper identified common causes of failure and possible remedial actions. Leaders that fail behave in ways reflective of their personality that limit or derail their careers. These flaws include arrogance, aloofness, perfectionism, insensitivity, selfishness and betraying the trust of others.
Research limitations/implications
Very little research on this important topic has been conducted.
Practical implications
Solutions highlight the role of early feedback in reducing leadership failures.
Originality/value
This paper raises a topic important in leadership development but ignored by both researchers and managers.
Keywords
Citation
Burke, R.J. (2006), "Why leaders fail: exploring the darkside", International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 27 No. 1, pp. 91-100. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437720610652862
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2006, Emerald Group Publishing Limited