Leadership Recovery Decision Guide

Clarifying what kind of leadership situation you are in before choosing an intervention

Senior leadership situations do not all require the same response.

Some are best addressed through development and coaching.
Others require a time-bound recovery approach.
Some have already moved closer to transition, even if that has not been named.

The Leadership Recovery Decision Guide is designed to help HR leaders, CEOs, and sponsors accurately classify the situation before deciding what to do next.


What this guide is for

This guide helps you:

  • Distinguish between development, recovery, and transition windows
  • Test whether coaching assumptions still hold
  • Avoid misaligned or premature interventions
  • Create shared understanding among decision-makers

It is most useful after early signals have been identified, but before formal action is taken.


What this guide is not

This guide is not:

  • An evaluation of a leader’s character or potential
  • A performance management tool
  • A prescription for action
  • A substitute for judgment or context

Its purpose is orientation and clarity, not reassurance.


When this guide is useful

This guide may be helpful if:

  • Concerns about a senior leader are emerging or escalating
  • Feedback themes are repeating without resolution
  • Sponsorship or patience feels conditional
  • There is disagreement about whether the situation is still developmental
  • The organization wants to act responsibly, without rushing or delaying

How it fits with the Recovery Self-Check

The Recovery Self-Check helps surface early signals.
The Decision Guide helps determine what those signals mean.

Used together, they support clearer thinking before decisions are made.


Access the Decision Guide

The Leadership Recovery Decision Guide is available as a PDF and may be used for internal discussion and orientation.

[Download the Decision Guide]