18 August 2026
Can Leaders Be Smart Before They Get Stupid?
Inside the Mind of Hiring with Dr. Mickey Fineberg: Business Psychologists Enabling the Selection and Preparation of Great Leaders
About
A
few of weeks ago we talked about Leaders sabotaging Leaders. Our program
revolved around a manufacturing company where a new COO, John, was hired to
help the President focus on shaping the business’ future and spend less time
with day-to-day operations. The business had just gone through a major space
increase, and significant upgrades in equipment and technology to meet customer
demand and boost competitive advantage. The COO’s expectation is to sustain an
efficient operation but also enable incremental vs major improvements. After
about 2.5 months on the job, the President was sensing that John was having
difficulty establishing credibility and influencing and connecting with his
managers.
I also noted that John, age 42, had good
knowledge of manufacturing, but his experience was more focused fixing troubled
operations than developing them over time
few of weeks ago we talked about Leaders sabotaging Leaders. Our program
revolved around a manufacturing company where a new COO, John, was hired to
help the President focus on shaping the business’ future and spend less time
with day-to-day operations. The business had just gone through a major space
increase, and significant upgrades in equipment and technology to meet customer
demand and boost competitive advantage. The COO’s expectation is to sustain an
efficient operation but also enable incremental vs major improvements. After
about 2.5 months on the job, the President was sensing that John was having
difficulty establishing credibility and influencing and connecting with his
managers.
I also noted that John, age 42, had good
knowledge of manufacturing, but his experience was more focused fixing troubled
operations than developing them over time