Several factors can play a role in derailing the careers of once-promising managers, but the story is the same: Their \u201cminuses\u201d begin to overshadow their \u201cpluses,\u201d and their organizations no longer see them as high-potential talent the way they once did. Suddenly, these managers discover their career is going off-track.<\/p>\n
What happened? They experienced derailment<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n Though often highly predictable by coworkers, career derailment sometimes comes as a surprise to derailing executives themselves, who are usually unaware of (or unwilling to address) the problems that caused them to derail.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve extensively studied career derailment since 1983. By comparing successful executives whose careers stay on track with those who derail, we\u2019ve identified 5 problems that are most likely to stall a career.<\/p>\n But before we talk about how to avoid the most common causes of derailment, it\u2019s important to answer \u201cWhat is derailment?\u201d and define what we mean by \u201cderailing\u201d vs. \u201csuccessful\u201d leaders.<\/p>\n Our research defines successful executives<\/em> as those who\u2019ve reached at least the general manager level and who, in the eyes of senior leaders in the organization, remain likely candidates for promotion.<\/p>\n We define derailing executives<\/em> as those who, after reaching the general manager level, are fired, demoted, or held on a career plateau. Right up to the point of derailment, the superiors of the derailed executives saw them as having high potential for advancement, impressive track records, and solidly established leadership positions.<\/p>\n But then something went wrong, and an otherwise promising career went off-track.<\/p>\n If your organization\u2019s leaders understand what derailment is, and the most common causes of it, preventing the derailment of promising talent becomes more predictable \u2014 and preventable.<\/p>\n Research has found that the top 5 causes of career derailment are:<\/p>\n So what does a high-potential leader need to do? Preventing derailment starts with knowing what to watch out for. Here are 5 tips to keep a promising career on track.<\/p>\n Because continuous change is an unavoidable part of any business today, organizations highly value adaptable, flexible leaders<\/a> who can dependably adapt to, and embrace, change. Those who resist change are often seen as stuck in their ways and unaware of trends at play in the broader market. It\u2019s often easier for others at the organization to respond positively to change if change-resistant leaders are sidelined or let go.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why successful executives are flexible in the face of organizational change and take responsibility for their own development and improvement. They make mistakes like everyone else, but it’s their ability to learn<\/em> from mistakes that distinguishes successful executives from those who derail.<\/p>\n Many executives who derail do so because they\u2019re unable (or unwilling) to adapt. They may resist making changes because their past successes indicate to them that they don\u2019t need to change, and they fear that making any changes might lead to failure. But becoming more adaptable is critical to keeping a career on track, and a leader\u2019s resistance to change affects not just them, but their direct reports too, potentially hindering their ability to move up as well.<\/p>\n Managing teamwork is complicated. An effective team leader must select, develop, engage, and motivate groups of people to pursue a common goal \u2014 no easy task. A team leader is responsible not only for their own results, but others\u2019 as well.<\/p>\n Leaders who have difficulty building teams can fail to deliver the results they\u2019ve promised. Their team members may feel undervalued, leading to dysfunction, and ultimately, departures from the team. Additionally, these leaders can develop a reputation as poor people-managers, hindering their progress toward leading more senior-level teams.<\/p>\n Leaders who are results-driven are crucial to their organization\u2019s performance. An executive\u2019s ability to decisively accomplish key objectives dramatically affects the way others view their performance \u2014 as well as their organization\u2019s bottom line. But the best of intentions can fall flat when leaders fail to meet performance expectations because of a lack of follow-through on promises or being overly ambitious.<\/p>\n Failure to deliver results can create a breach of trust. Leaders in danger of derailing because they don\u2019t deliver what they promise may have exceeded their current level of competence, without realizing it. Even if someone is great with people and loved by superiors, peers, and direct reports, if they fail to drive results toward business objectives, they\u2019re still in jeopardy of falling off the career ladder.<\/p>\n Strategic orientation can be described colloquially as simply \u201chaving your head in the game.\u201d This means understanding the day-to-day demands of a leadership role and<\/em> the strategic context surrounding the job and team. Those who keep their career on track can think beyond the needs of their department and understand the big picture, recognizing and accepting the realities of their organization and how all of its parts work together.<\/p>\n If a leader struggles to envision and navigate organizational ambiguity, politics, dilemmas, and trade-offs, they will find it extremely difficult to get things done, especially when competing for resources or when faced with short deadlines. Others who are more attuned to the workings and culture of the organization might outmaneuver them in plays for resources. As a leader moves higher in the organization, the ability to deal with the informal organization (the added complexity beyond the org chart) is as important as following the formal policies, practices, and rules.<\/p>\n Intelligence, acumen, and insight will take a leader pretty far. But without a keen sense of how to make and keep productive relationships, a promising career could still go off track.<\/p>\n Having problems with interpersonal relationships is one of the most common characteristics of leaders who experience what we define as career derailment. <\/strong>The ability to work well with others clearly separates the managers who succeed from those who don\u2019t.<\/p>\n Often, those who derail are seen as poor team players, unable (or unwilling) to involve others. So, to stay on track, a leader should rely on their strengths, while balancing whatever weaknesses they have with their colleagues\u2019 reservoir of skills and experiences. That\u2019s the collaborative, cooperative field of goodwill fostered by great managers and leaders. An inability to form strong interpersonal relationships \u2014 built on trust and mutual understanding \u2014 threatens that goodwill.<\/p>\n If an executive struggles with interpersonal relationships, small misunderstandings can grow into big conflicts. Poor interpersonal relationships are a breeding ground for distrust and can undermine confidence in their leadership. If those problems persist, their organization might sideline them \u2014 or worse, dismiss them entirely.<\/p>\n How do you know if a leader needs to work on their interpersonal skills to keep their career on track? In our research, we found that executives who are unable to establish strong interpersonal relationships are described by their bosses, peers, and direct reports as:<\/p>\n If colleagues are using these adjectives to describe a leader, help them take action today to keep their career on track.<\/p>\nWhat Is Derailment?<\/h2>\n
These Are the 5 Most Common Career Derailers<\/h2>\n
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<\/a>As outlined in our book\u00a0Compass: Your Guide for Leadership Development and Coaching<\/em><\/a>, a weakness in any one of these 5 areas can not only threaten a leader\u2019s advancement, but also can bring their career to a screeching halt.<\/p>\n\n
How to Prevent Derailment & Keep a Promising Career on Track<\/h2>\n
5 Ways to Stay on Track<\/h3>\n
1. Roll with changes.<\/h4>\n
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2. Build better teams.<\/h4>\n
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3. Deliver results.<\/h4>\n
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4. Develop a strategic orientation.<\/h4>\n
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5. Work on interpersonal skills.<\/h4>\n
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