They look perfect on paper but will they deliver?

For most of my career in recruitment and executive search, one question has fascinated me: Why do some leadership appointments thrive while others struggle? With a background in organisational psychology, my interest has always extended well beyond making placements. I've been just as interested in what happens after the appointment, because it is what happens after the appointment that ultimately determines whether a leader succeeds or not. Executive search is a critical part of that story. Finding the right leader matters. But after years of watching leaders transition into organisations, I noticed the same pattern emerging. When highly capable leaders struggled, it often wasn't because they were the wrong appointment. It was because they had stepped into conditions that made success unnecessarily difficult. If you looked at where most organisations invest their time and resources, you could be forgiven for thinking the formula for leadership success is simple: Leadership Success = Individual Capability Find the best leaders. Run a rigorous search. Conduct robust assessments. Make the appointment. All of that matters. But I've come to believe the equation is incomplete. We’ve all seen organisations where the same leadership role changes hands every few years, yet still struggles to create impact. Different people, different personalities, different skill sets. Yet the outcome remains below expectations. The role, not the leader, consistently underdelivers. And in some cases, these roles are avoided by very capable leaders. When the same pattern repeats, it’s worth asking whether we are putting too much focus on leadership skills alone. Today, I’d describe leadership success like this: Leadership Success = Individual Capability × Conditions Capability is essential. But capability alone doesn't determine whether a leadership appointment succeeds. Success also depends on the conditions surrounding that leader: the organisational context the stakeholder alignment the clarity of mandate the governance the expectations the internal politics These aren’t qualities of the leader coming into the role. They’re qualities of the system the leader is stepping into. When these conditions are misaligned, even highly capable leaders will struggle. In some cases, this leads to early exits, repeated turnover, or leaders remaining in role but unable to deliver sustained impact. This naturally raises an important question: What can organisations do to improve these conditions and maximise the likelihood of leadership success? Executive search identifies the right leadership capability. Leadership transition creates the conditions for that capability to flourish. -- If you are currently navigating a leadership appointment or supporting a newly appointed executive, you may be encountering some of the dynamics described above. These situations are rarely straightforward and often benefit from structured transitions. If you would like to know more on how we help organisations navigate leadership appointments or leadership transitions, connect with us on LinkedIn or reach out for a conversation.  You can also explore more insights on our blog or connect with us on LinkedIn to follow future articles.

Are Leaders Toxic? Or Are They Set Up to Fail?

Appointment to the Executive General Manager, Clinical at VCGS