A natural problem-solver, Todd thrives as a field engineer. His wife of 15 years, Tammy, loves having a built-in handyman and is always impressed by his latest project. She admires his sharp mind but often reminds him to stay present—he has a habit of retreating into his thoughts, sometimes losing sight of the world around him.

After years of heartbreak, they are finally expecting, a baby girl. Tammy’s high-risk pregnancy forces her to leave her teaching job, making Todd the sole provider. When a management position opens, he leaps. His dedication earns him a promotion, marking the beginning of his leadership development journey.

A Leadership Struggle

Stepping into leadership is harder than expected. Now managing a team of four, including his close friend, Manny, Todd struggles to transition from peer to boss. Leadership enforces sweeping changes, and Todd falters in communicating them. The team misses key objectives, and pressure from senior management mounts. He is told to enforce accountability through progressive discipline.

For the first time, Mason and Lisa receive verbal warnings under Todd’s leadership. When Mason takes unexpected leave, the already stretched team demands support. Todd escalates their concerns but is met with a hiring freeze, deepening frustration.

Todd hates conflict. Instead of owning leadership’s decisions, he merely passes them down, creating a rift between himself and his team. Trust erodes. Lisa files an employee relations complaint, citing unfair evaluations. Isolated and overwhelmed, Todd withdraws further. Senior leadership starts to take notice.

The Mental Toll

Todd is exhibiting signs of chronic stress, anxiety, and avoidant coping mechanisms. Rather than seeking support or adapting his leadership style, he internalizes his struggles, convincing himself that he must solve everything alone. The persistent stress triggers physiological and cognitive effects, difficulty sleeping, impaired decision-making, emotional detachment, and heightened irritability. His executive functioning diminishes, making it harder to manage priorities, communicate effectively, or regulate emotions.

This is where workplace mental health programs and corporate mental health training can make a difference. Instead, his withdrawal not only exacerbates his distress but also destabilizes team morale. The unresolved tension erodes team trust, fueling frustration, lowering performance, and draining engagement.

The Leadership Pitfall

High-performing individual contributors are often promoted into leadership without evaluating their readiness. Todd’s personality, his conflict aversion and internalization, should have been red flags. Behavioral-based interview questions focused on adversity could have exposed these risks before promotion. Without intervention, Todd is on track for a downward spiral. His performance will continue to suffer, likely resulting in a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). The strained team will reach a breaking point, accelerating turnover and dysfunction. Eventually, leadership will be forced to intervene, disrupting the cycle, but only after considerable damage has been done. Organizations must recognize that leadership development coaching is not just about strategy and execution, it’s about equipping leaders with mindful leadership strategies to navigate adversity before a crisis takes hold.