6: Finding your Ally

Over the past 30 years, a substantial amount of research on leadership success and derailment has shown that many times leaders fail simply because they are unable to adapt to new situations. Examples include the introduction of a new boss, the move into a new role or company, or changes in organizational culture (McCall, Lombardo, & Morrison, 1998). Such changes can take the form of problematic behaviors that, although originally overlooked, eventually become so evident or excessive that they create severe problems for a leader. A classic example is the executive who is a high performer, but whose ability to maintain emotional composure within stressful work situations begins to degrade over time, leading to heated flare-ups and toxic conflicts with other people.