Episode 134: Why Do Some Top Performers Make Terrible Leaders? Thomas Erikson | The Tim Castle Show

In this powerful and insightful episode of The Tim Castle Show, Tim sits down with bestselling author and behavioral expert Thomas Erikson to explore one of the most counterintuitive truths in leadership: high achievers don’t always make great leaders.

We’ve all seen it — the rock-star salesperson, the brilliant engineer, the top-performing executive who suddenly struggles once they step into a leadership role. Why does excellence in execution so often fail to translate into excellence in leadership?

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why the skills that make someone a top performer can actually hinder their success as a leader
• How behavioral styles — the way we communicate, make decisions, and relate to others — shape leadership impact
• The subtle but critical differences between individual competence and team influence
• Why self-awareness and emotional intelligence are more important than IQ or technical mastery
• Practical strategies top performers can use to become confident, inspiring leaders

Thomas brings his signature framework of human behavior — grounded in psychology, real-world examples, and storytelling — to help you understand leadership through a new lens. Whether you’re a founder, manager, or aspiring leader, this episode will challenge your assumptions about performance, people, and power.

Tune in if you want to:
✔️ Flip the “top performer → leader” myth on its head
✔️ Decode the leadership gaps that derail fast-rising talent
✔️ Build teams that follow you not because of what you do — but because of who you are as a leader

Get ready to rethink performance, leadership, and what it really takes to lead at the highest level.

Follow Tim

• Magnetic Influence: How to negotiate and persuade in a disrupted world. Pre-order Now https://amzn.to/3M5HKq3
• #1 Startups book $0-1m The First Domino https://amzn.to/3Z0NrbJ
• The Art of Negotiation #1 in UK #jobinterviews and #1 in US for CareerAdvancement https://amzn.to/3LSA6zh
• Tim Castle is recognised in the Worlds Top 30 Negotiation Professionals an award winning best selling Author and negotiation expert. His books are relied upon by Universities, Fortune 500 companies.
• YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@TimCastle
• Negotiation Expert Instagram https://www.instagram.com/timjscastle/?hl=en
• The Highly Skilled Negotiator Course (80+ LESSONS) https://www.timjscastle.com/the-highly-skilled-negotiator
• How To Crush Your Job Interviews Course https://www.timjscastle.com/job-interview-mastery
• Negotiation Skills Training Academy https://www.thenegotiatorsedge.ai/
• Tim's Website https://www.timjscastl...