Derailment may be defined as risk of, or vulnerability to failure, or as a significant decrease in leadership effectiveness, often at a high point in the executive's career. This 'hero to zero' phenomenon may have its origins in the nature of the executive recruitment and selection process, and the manner in which high flyers are managed after their appointment. Derailment may also occur as a consequence of situations that trigger dysfunctional individual behaviour that ultimately damage credibility and reputation. Even the best leaders can sabotage their success by succumbing to certain flawed behaviours that are often closely tied to the factors that make for success.
The concepts of leader derailment and dysfunction behaviour are becoming increasingly useful when consulting on organisational performance. Accurate diagnosis of dysfunctional behaviour, perhaps through interventions such as Executive Coaching may enable leaders to (i) examine if they are operating in ways that are unhelpful and (ii) help them to move away from behaviour diagnosed as dysfunctional. However, efforts may be ineffective if we do not at the same time draw attention to the antecedents of such behaviour and their consequences on organisational performance.
In this session both the recruitment and personality facets of derailment will be explored through a number of case studies concerning leaders, some currently at risk due to their dysfunctional behaviour and some who have already derailed.
Margaret is a Business Psychologist and consultant with experience of working with clients across the private and public sector. Prior to training as a psychologist, she worked as a senior marketing manager in large organizations including Microsoft UK. Margaret combines her psychology and marketing knowledge with her management experience to help organizations increase their performance through people centred change.
Her work includes developing leadership & management capability, organisational development & culture change, personnel selection & assessment, performance appraisal & career development, employee relations & motivation. She relishes challenging assignments; her personal strengths include an ability to inspire individuals and groups within organizations to develop their potential at work. She is able to help build trust and openness between individuals and teams whilst negotiating complex organizational dynamics, making her a very effective agent for change at group and individual level.
Margaret has a Masters in Occupational Psychology from Birkbeck College, London, is an Affiliate of the Centre for Leadership Studies and is a member of the BPS Special Group in Occupational & Coaching Psychology. Level A & B trained, she has access to a wide variety of Psychometric Instruments.
After an early career as a research psychologist, Neville held senior executive appointments in industry before being invited, in 1988, to establish and lead the Organisation Effectiveness practice within Hewitt Associates, a global consultancy. On retirement from Hewitt in 2004 he was appointed a Fellow of the University of Exeter and founding Director of the CLS Professional Network, serving in this capacity until 2007.
As a psychologist and business economist, Neville adopts a highly integrative and multi-disciplinary approach to contemporary challenges in organisational effectiveness and business strategy, consulting across a broad range of strategic business issues. He has also worked with several global companies advising on the impact of national culture on cross-border alliances and transnational management. He is a consultant to a number of major leadership development initiatives, and is an executive coach to senior business leaders in several countries. He is on the Advisory Board of the University's Business School.
His clients include the European Central Bank, 3i, Pepsico International, Ernst &Young, the Luxembourg Post and Telecommunications Directorate, Candover plc, Valspar Europe, M&G, and Finmeccanica
He is a Chartered Psychologist and an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, and is licensed to use a wide range of psychometric instruments.
