Why Good Leaders Fail (and Don’t See It Coming)
A one-string banjo doesn’t sound happy. Overconfidence in one strength brings leaders down.
Visionaries fail when they can’t get stuff done. Relationship builders fail when they don’t have tough conversations. Doers without empathy build disengaged teams.
Vision needs execution. Relationships deal with conflict. And “Git-R-Done” types without empathy are taskmasters.
Leadership is a three-legged stool, not a one string banjo.
5 Reasons Leaders Fail
#1 Neglecting Balance
Leadership is a three-legged stool:
- Vision – direction
- Relationship – engagement
- Execution – results
Leaders collapse when they neglect any pillar.
#2 Ignoring Self-Awareness
You damage people unintentionally when you don’t appreciate your impact. Without honest feedback, you repeat blind spots with confidence.
Growth slows. Trust erodes. Teams fragment.
#3 Avoiding Collaboration
Solo problem-solvers become bottlenecks. Refusing to delegate isn’t about standards, it’s about control.
Micromanagers wonder why no one steps up. Heavy-handed leaders drain energy.
#4 Resisting Personal Growth
Leaders who don’t develop can’t grow their organizations. Avoiding conflict, resisting feedback, or clinging to past success guarantees future failure.
Growth requires letting go.
#5 Losing Touch with Reality
Brilliant strategies die when disconnected from people and execution. You don’t fail because of bad ideas. You fail because of bad follow-through.
You don’t fail all at once. You fail a little at a time by ignoring weaknesses, minimizing your impact on people, and refusing to evolve.
If you want to thrive long-term, ask yourself: What strength am I overusing? What skill am I neglecting?
Leadership is not a fixed trait. It’s a capacity that must keep growing or it dies from within.
What are some reasons leaders fail from your point of view?
Don’t miss: Why Talented Leaders Fail
This post is based on the wonderful work of Richard Hagberg PhD and Tien Tzuo. Read their new book Founders, Keepers: Why Founders Are Built to Fail, and What it Takes to Succeed.
What are some reasons leaders fail from your point of view?
The Task
—Can’t explain or convince people why it’s worth doing
—Pursuing the wrong strategy
—Lack of discipline to work the plan (poor execution)
The Relationships
—Treat people as a low priority
—Big ego
–Doesn’t involve people
–Doesn’t praise and recognize people
Personal Qualities
—-Ineffective communicator
—Poor listener
—Overconfident
—Doesn’t live their core values
—-Lack energy and conviction for their mission
—-Doesn’t delegate
Thanks for showing up with clarity. You nailed it by organizing your thoughts into three clear buckets—task, relationships, and personal qualities. That framework is powerful. It reminds me that leadership failure usually isn’t one big moment—it’s a series of small misses across these areas.
excellent post Dan, living this three legged stool at work and at home are essential and interdependent. If one leg is missing or weak, the whole structure becomes unstable. I can ponder this post for days.
Thanks, Scott. You’ve lived this out over the years. I appreciate how you connected the three-legged stool to both work and home. So true. Leadership isn’t compartmentalized. When one leg wobbles, everything shifts.
The three-legged stool visual is golden! Thanks, Dan!
My pleasure, Michael.