Derailed:
Five Lessons Learned from Catastrophic Failures of Leadership (2009)
by Timothy
Irwin, PhD
Derailment means "off the
rails." To be a derailed leader means to fall short of inner
character that result in outer disaster. Maybe it's better to say that a
derailed leader is not a ‘leader' after all. In the second section of
this book, Irwin, a consultant on leadership development, shares about six
famous leaders who greatly derailed, namely: Robert Nardelli, Carly Fiorina,
Durk Jager, Steven Heyer, Frank Raines & Dick Fuld. Irwin doesn't shame these
six high profile leaders because their derailments are known to the public and
were reported from respected media. In their cases, fraud was not the reason.
"What ultimately caused the derailment of the individuals profiled in
upcoming chapters was a failure of character!" write the author. "The
big lesson is that no matter how brilliant, charming, strategic or commanding
in the presence a leader is, the consequences of a failed character are
extraordinary disabling and will bring down even the strongest among us."
But ultimately, this book is not
about them… it's about us – you and me, especially we who are in a
leadership position and/or authority. It's about how we can avoid derailment
and recognize the early warnings of it. As Patrick Lencioni, the author of The
Five Dysfunctions of a Team, warned, "No one is immune from the
derailment." I take the message of this book seriously and I thank
Irwin for making it clear, urgent and essential for aspiring leaders like me.
I've been to the dark valley of my character flaw. I went to prison because of
it. A minor crime, I assure you, but a serious lack of character issue. If
Irwin knew me (and if I'm famous), I can have a long profile chapter in this
book! How did derailment happen? First, we must understand that it's a process.
A slow but sure progression. Stage
1: A Failure of
Self/Other-Awareness > Stage 2: Hubris, Pride Before the Fall > Stage
3: Missed Early Warning Signals > Stage 4: Rationalizing > and
then, of course, Stage 5: Derailment.
Why did derailment happen? As Tim
Irwin already says: a failure of character. Most good leaders
have high IQ but most fallen leaders have low CQ (Character Quotient). "Character
is the foundation of great leadership. We have to get this right to stay on
track." There are three (3) tests of character: 1) Does the leader have
a strong moral/ethical guidance system that functions well in ambiguous
situations? 2) Does the leader make decisions just for expediency? And 3) Does
the leader handle adversity with grace? To "stay on track" is
an exercise of character. Tim Irwin outlines four character-based qualities
that can help leaders to do just that:
#1 Authenticity (My strength that can be my weakness too)
#2 Self-Management (Very essential. Leader leads him/herself first)
#3 Humility (remind me of Lencioni's values: Smart, Hungry and Humble)
#4 Courage (I love the story of his father, Jim Irwin)
In the last section of this book,
Irwin shares some practical suggestions, tips and axioms. He lists Five Critical
Lessons In Leadership and Five Critical Habits of the Heart. To know
about it, you have to read this book. It's worth the price and your time (by
the way, I bought it during the sale for only RM10!). I fully recommend it.
Although for me it comes in a bit late – remember I shared with you about my
derailment incident – I'm glad that I learned from it quickly. I resolve by
God's grace and guidance that I want to improve my character personally and as
a leader. As Tim Irwin closes this book: "We must keep intense light on
our character as well as continue to become more and more competent at what we
do."
THINK BIG. START
SMALL. GO DEEP.
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