As individuals, most of us do things that cause problems down the road, or make excuses in advance for potential failure. Many organizations have cultures that promote these "self-handicapping" actions, in which people withdraw effort or create obstacles to success, so they can maintain their own public or private self-images of competence. Most executives and managers have seen these actions, and struggled to eliminate them. In Self-Handicapping Leadership, Phillip J. Decker and Jordan P. Mitchell shine the spotlight on this destructive leadership phenomenon, and present real solutions and action plans for overcoming it. Decker and Mitchell identify nine categories of self-handicapping, show how they typically manifest themselves, explain their underlying causes, and provide behavioral remedies for getting past them on both an individual and organizational level. They address issues ranging from tunnel vision to poor talent development; weak decision analysis to failures of trust and conviction. In each chapter, you'll find real-world case examples and lessons learned, practical assessments, and easy-to-use action plans. This is all you need to eliminate self-handicapping and unleash better performance - in teams, organizations, subordinates, and in yourself!