Leadership Derailment

Research has found the organizational base rate for leader failure to be 65-75%, with 75% of employees reporting leaders as the most stressful aspect of their employment. Despite these findings, little research has examined the particular leadership constructs, such as emotional intelligence (EI), transformational leadership (TL) style, and leader derailment behaviors (DBs), which may predict derailment. The purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental study was to examine if leader DBs are best predicted by the relationships of EI (Hypothesis 1) or TL style (Hypothesis 2) among a military industrial organization. The theoretical foundations of the study were based on the Goleman theory of emotional intelligence, the Bass theory of transformational leadership, and the Hogan socioanalytic theory. A convenience sample of 135 military-industrial leaders was recruited through leadership associations, leadership forums, and professional and social media. The leaders were assessed for EI via the Emotional and Social Competency Inventory, for TL with the Global Transformational Leadership Scale, and for DBs with the Hogan Development Survey.