Domino Derailers: Change the Chain Reaction Before It Starts
Stress can turn a leader's strengths into derailers. LG Services Group explains how Hogan assessments help teams spot the early signs and respond constructively before small reactions snowball.
Ever noticed how one person's decision or behaviour can affect another individual, and even an entire team? That's the domino effect in action.
When people are under stress or pressure, even well intentioned individuals can display counterproductive behaviours, such as withdrawing, becoming obstinate, causing disruption, procrastinating, micromanaging or reducing productivity. These aren't quirks. They're predictable reactions to stress, and they're manageable, with the right insight.
What are domino derailers?
Domino derailers are stress driven behaviours that can trigger a chain reaction within an individual or across a team. A single moment of reactivity can create ripples that affect focus, trust, morale and decision making.
These hidden behaviours often go unnoticed until they've already taken a toll. Recognising them early helps leaders intervene before the entire sequence unfolds, preserving cohesion and performance.
Why domino derailers matter
- Disrupted communication
- Lost productivity
- Unspoken tension
- Stalled decisions
- Higher turnover
Strong teams aren't left to chance. They're built through behavioural insight, structured support and honest conversations.
What do domino derailers look like?
Domino derailers show up in many different ways, depending on the person and the context. Here are four examples.
The confident expert. Strength: confident, assertive, self-assured. Under stress: becomes dismissive, inflexible, resistant to feedback. Confidence helps leaders make decisions and project certainty, but under pressure it can tip into overconfidence, where input from others is ignored and adaptability takes a back seat.
The considerate colleague. Strength: supportive, diplomatic, people focused. Under stress: becomes hesitant, conflict avoidant, indecisive. Keeping the peace can be valuable, until it means avoiding tough conversations altogether. Over time, that avoidance undermines clarity and momentum.
The high performer. Strength: ambitious, driven, committed. Under stress: becomes overcommitted, reactive, unable to delegate. Drive is valuable, but when pressure mounts it can lead to burnout and bottlenecks. Tasks pile up, trust breaks down, and performance suffers.
The detail specialist. Strength: precise, thorough, quality focused. Under stress: becomes perfectionistic, inflexible, focused on minutiae. High standards matter, but when perfectionism delays delivery and overwhelms teams, it becomes a barrier instead of a strength.
We help teams recognise when strengths begin to shift into derailers, using Hogan tools to understand patterns early and respond constructively.
The Hogan difference
We use Hogan assessments to help leadership teams:
- Spot the early signs of derailment
- Intervene constructively with informed insight
- Build long term team resilience
Our work reveals what's going on beneath the surface, so teams can take deliberate action and respond more constructively under pressure.
Before Hogan: hidden tensions, low trust, quick emotional decisions, disconnected teams.
After Hogan: better awareness, smarter choices, more cohesion, higher motivation.
What to expect
Every organisation is different, so we adapt our approach to suit your context and needs. That said, our process is always structured and clearly communicated.
Our Domino Derailers programme is led by Christine Georgiadis, People and Performance Consultant at LG Services Group. Christine brings deep expertise in leadership development, team dynamics and behavioural assessment. She works closely with organisations to turn insight into action, helping teams respond more constructively under pressure and build long term capability.
Our approach
Find out. We use validated Hogan tools to identify behavioural risks before they affect team dynamics. These insights give leaders a clear picture of their team's strengths and stress responses.
Develop. Through targeted coaching and practical workshops, we help people recognise their own patterns, understand others, and build better ways of working together.
Grow. Teams develop healthier habits, communicate more openly, and perform more consistently, even during times of change or pressure.
See results. Create a workplace where people are more engaged, productive and likely to stay.
Want to improve communication, trust and resilience in your team? We'll help you identify derailers early and build practical strategies to manage them. Call us on 02 8765 1200 or email hello@lgsg.au.