The seven dysfunctions that repeatedly cause leaders to lose their way

Leadership casts a long shadow, says Olivier Courtois. The best results come from those who ask themselves 21 questions that can transform their business, their career and their life

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For those looking to be the best leader they can be, seven dysfunctions stand in the way. Whether making decisions at the top, managing a team or starting a career, these are patterns of behaviour to which we are all prone as humans, particularly at moments of transition or when under pressure. The repercussions can spread widely and corrosively through organisations and beyond.

In over 35 years as a coach, leader and entrepreneur, Olivier S.E. Courtois has seen all the traps into which leaders can fall. To keep your career, your team, your organisation and your life on track, he says, it takes constant vigilance.

Otherwise you can find yourself taking decisions without fully knowing yourself. The circle from which you draw influence becomes too narrow. A failure to communicate knocks the confidence of those around you. Without a sense of vision, inspiration falters and talent drains away. Energy disperses if priorities aren’t set and conflicts aren’t resolved. Without trust, teams fail to become autonomous and take risks. Finally, you end up exhausting yourself and others.

‘It’s why leadership is such a rare gift,’ says Courtois. ‘Whatever the particular circumstances, the story of how organisations emerge, grow, function, win and decline is always about us as humans and as leaders who can influence, drive, act, take charge, imagine and transform, turning ideas into actions, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.’

‘Some may feel that I am being negative by highlighting the dysfunctional realities that face leaders. My view is that it is better to be aware of the dangers. When you go on holiday to Florida, for instance, you are going to have a good time. Even so, it is worth paying attention to the warning signs about alligators if you stray off the path.’

Published by Novaro on 21st November 2024, this book is designed as a self-coaching guide for leaders of today and tomorrow. Through a series of 21 questions, it gives them a set of behaviours, skills, models, practices and tools to realise their potential as leaders who can transform performance in the workplace and keep making a difference in life.

‘Leadership casts a long shadow’, says Courtois. ‘The best results come from those who constantly review their thinking to get clarity about what actions to take and how to put them into practice. It can sound daunting, but excellence depends on daily action and on continuous improvement. The aim of this book is to let you progress as a leader by the one percent a day that ends up making all the difference.’

‘In this wonderful work’, says Professor Michael Stanford, founder of Summit Leadership, ‘Olivier Courtois gets to the heart of how leaders can shape the world around them.’ For Stephen Bruyant-Langer, associate professor at Copenhagen Business School, it is ‘a tour de force ... a future-fit operating system’.

For the chief executive of the House of Leading Brands, Stephan Mardyks in Fort Worth, Texas, it is ‘a must-read for anyone looking to elevate their leadership skills’. At the Antwerp Management School, Professor Ron Meyer comments, ‘Olivier makes becoming a better leader easier by demystifying what it takes to be effective in dealing with other people. A great book to help you develop yourself’.

At ADNOC in Abu Dhabi, Andrew Stotter-Brooks says, ‘Olivier offers exceptional insights and tips on leading and inspiring complex teams … in an increasingly ambiguous and fast-changing environment, he brings alignment, clarity and engagement’.

• The Seven Dysfunctions of Leaders: 21 questions to transform your business, your career and your life is published on 21st November 2024 by Novaro Publishing, ISBN: 978-1-0685644-0-6. See here for details.