They are negative and difficult to work with.
People with this problem seem insensitive, abrasive and self-centered. One manager who derailed was described this way: "If he was stressed or in a hurry (which was often on both counts) he would talk to people in a very nasty tone, and often embarrass people in front of their colleagues."
They don't adapt well to ongoing changes.
Some people find change so difficult, and are so resistant that they can't or won't alter their behavior - and ultimately this ruins their career. A typical comment about one manager who eventually got fired was: "She was very rigid and wouldn't allow her staff to be involved in the team's decisions, even after it was clear that more participative leadership was expected. She just believed that managers are supposed to command and control."
They are stuck in old mental models.
Successful people spend less time thinking about what worked in the past and more time asking, "What's in the future?"

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