New leadership book warns failed executive hires can cost up to $15m

Tess Cope’s new book, published Thursday, argues that senior leaders need a systemic onboarding approach to avoid costly early failures. The release cites research showing failed executive hires can drain millions from companies and hurt productivity, reputation and commercial opportunity.

Why it matters: - Failed senior executive hires can cost businesses millions, with the broader impact of a bad leadership appointment cited as high as $15 million. - The book argues that stronger onboarding can help senior leaders avoid early missteps that damage performance, engagement and reputation. - The findings matter for companies that rely on external hires to lead major change and deliver results quickly.

What happened: - Tess Cope published Your First 60 Days – The Missing Piece in Your Onboarding: A Systemic Approach for Senior Leaders on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. - The book is Cope’s third and focuses on systemic leadership onboarding for senior executives. - Cope has more than 25 years of global experience in cultural transformation and leadership development.

The details: - A University of South Carolina Center for Executive Succession study found that 45% of about 150 CHROs estimated the direct cost of a failed external executive hire at $2 million to $5 million. - Another 15% of those CHROs estimated the cost at $5 million to $10 million. - Research highlighted by Mercuri Urval put the wider cost of a failed leadership appointment even higher. - Cope says senior leaders should use their first 60 days to understand the organisation’s history, people and invisible “furniture.” - The book says that understanding the organisation from human, relational and systemic viewpoints helps new leaders guide their teams more effectively. - The book also says this approach helps leaders implement change, integrate into the “inner sanctum” of leadership and build their reputation in the industry. - Cope says up to 50% of new executives fail to meet expectations in their first 18 months. - Cope says overlooking the past and the role a leader inherits can come at a high cost. - The book says failed leadership appointments can hurt productivity, engagement, reputation and commercial opportunity.

Between the lines: - The release frames executive onboarding as a business-risk issue, not just a personnel process. - The emphasis on “organ rejection” suggests many leadership failures are driven by poor fit with the existing system, not only by individual capability. - Cope is positioning the book as both a practical guide for leaders and a broader argument for how companies should think about succession and integration.

What’s next: - Cope’s stated mission is to help leaders improve the working lives of 100,000 employees each year. - The book is intended to help senior leaders understand the organisation they inherit before trying to transform it. - More information or interview requests were directed to Nicola Rowley at NJRPR Limited. - A LinkedIn profile for Tess Cope was included in the release: Tess Cope on LinkedIn

The bottom line: - The book’s core message is simple: senior leaders who ignore the system they are entering risk costly failure, while those who spend their first 60 days learning the organisation may improve their odds of success.