As Dr. Heller states in his book, The Prodigal Executive, How to Coach Executives Too Painful to Keep, Too Valuable to Fire:

“My job is to defuse atomic bombs in the workplace. Not literal weapons of mass destruction but employees that can blow a company apart…these executives are former star performers; they had to be stellar to rise to the position they now hold. But currently they are causing problems, big problems. Some create toxic workplaces that cause good employees to flee. Others are causing customers to complain in ever-increasing numbers. The executive’s peers have become alienated too. Their fellow executives don’t want to speak to this ticking time bomb of a person because they are always abrasive, so they avoid them. This creates a serious lack of communication all over the organization, and for whatever reason, their behavior is deteriorating fast.”

Who is a candidate for The Heller Group’s coaching to prevent executive derailment?

• An executive who is too painful to keep and too valuable to fire.
• A leader who has been a stellar performer but is now causing customer complaints and/or employees to flee while alienating peers.
• Someone who has been denied a promotion because of inappropriate behavior.

The coaching process to prevent executive derailment is similar to executive coaching but with a specific focus on reversing the behavior that works against the individual in his or her role as an executive.