The Role of Failure and Disappointment in Leadership Behaviour: A Social Science Examination of Resilience, Adaptation, and Organisational Influence | Zenodo Skip to main Communities My dashboard Log in Sign up Published April 23, 2026 | Version v1 Journal article Open The Role of Failure and Disappointment in Leadership Behaviour: A Social Science Examination of Resilience, Adaptation, and Organisational Influence Authors/Creators Paul Andrew Bourne, PhD, DrPH 1 Show affiliations 1.
Adjunct Professor, Northern Caribbean University (NCU), Manchester, Jamaica, WI Description Failure and disappointment are inevitable experiences in leadership, yet their role in shaping leadership behaviour remains underexplored in social science literature. This study examines how leaders respond to setbacks, navigate personal and organisational challenges, and adapt leadership strategies in the face of failure and disappointment. The theoretical framework integrates theories of resilience, transformational and transactional leadership, and psychological perspectives on coping, self-efficacy, and emotional regulation to develop a comprehensive understanding of leadership under adversity. Findings indicate that effective leaders leverage failure as an opportunity for reflection, strategic recalibration, and follower engagement, whereas maladaptive responses exacerbate organisational dysfunction, reduce credibility, and undermine trust. Resilience, emotional intelligence, and strategic reflection mediate the relationship between leadership style and the outcomes of failure experiences. Organisational context further influences the effectiveness of leadership responses, demonstrating that adaptive leadership is situational. This study addresses a gap in leadership research by linking experiential failure with behavioural adaptation, power dynamics, and ethical decision-making. Practical implications include leadership development programmes that emphasise resilience, reflective practice, and ethical management of disappointment. Files 28.pdf Files (321.2 kB) Name Size Download all 28.pdf md5:32f1d40b7f01beff88302d3282822df9 321.2 kB Preview Download 19 Views 10 Downloads Show more details All versions This version Views Total views 19 19 Downloads Total downloads 10 10 Data volume Total data volume 3.2 MB 3.2 MB More info on how stats are collected.... Versions External resources Indexed in OpenAIRE Communities Keywords and subjects Keywords Leadership resilience, Failure and disappointment, Transformational leadership, Transactional leadership, Organisational behaviour, Emotional intelligence Details DOI DOI Badge DOI 10.5281/zenodo.19705604 Markdown [](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19705604) reStructuredText .. image:: https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.19705604.svg :target: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19705604 HTML <a href="https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19705604"><img src="https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.19705604.svg" alt="DOI"></a> Image URL https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.19705604.svg Target URL https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19705604 Resource type Journal article Publisher INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE HUMANITY & MANAGEMENT RESEARCH Published in INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE HUMANITY & MANAGEMENT RESEARCH, 05(04), 814-820, ISSN: 2833-2180, 2026. Languages Old English (ca. 450-1100) Rights License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International The Creative Commons Attribution license allows re-distribution and re-use of a licensed work on the condition that the creator is appropriately credited. Read more Citation Export Technical metadata Created April 23, 2026 Modified April 23, 2026 Jump up About About Policies Infrastructure Principles Projects Roadmap Contact Blog Blog Support Help FAQ Developers REST API OAI-PMH Contribute GitHub Donate Funded by Powered by CERN Data Centre & InvenioRDM Status Privacy policy Cookie policy Terms of Use This site uses cookies. Find out more on how we use cookies Accept all cookies Accept only essential cookies