• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
LeadershipMost Disappointing Leaders

Rank the World’s Most Disappointing Leaders

Fortune Editors
By
Fortune Editors
Fortune Editors
Down Arrow Button Icon
Fortune Editors
By
Fortune Editors
Fortune Editors
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 30, 2016, 9:00 AM ET

When does a leader go wrong? One thing is certain: good fortune can quickly turn sour after one bad decision, and repeatedly making poor decisions can only make matters worse. These once-respected leaders have fallen on hard times after making a few ill-fated moves.

We rounded up some of the biggest fumbles by politicians and business executives over the past year and assembled a list of the World’s 19 Most Disappointing Leaders. But we want to know, which one is the most disappointing. It’s your turn to decide.

Which of these leaders’ fumbles is most egregious? Governor Rick Snyder’s handling of the Flint water crisis? Or Dilma Rouseff’s corruption scandal in Brazil? Or Marissa Mayer’s growing problems at Yahoo? Use the app below to rank our list of dubious leadership moves and tell us who disappointed you the most. Click or tap on the arrows to bring your choice to the top.

[playbuzz-item url=”//www.playbuzz.com/fortune/whos-the-most-disappointing-leader”]

About the Author
Fortune Editors
By Fortune Editors
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

les wexner
LawBillionaires
Retail billionaire Les Wexner says he was ‘duped’ by adviser Jeffrey Epstein: ‘I was naive, foolish, and gullible’
By The Associated Press and Julie Carr SmythFebruary 18, 2026
4 hours ago
EnvironmentConservation
Florida animal behaviorists’ “ridiculous idea” to administer eye drops save a Zimbabwean rhino with bleeding eyes
By Cody Jackson, David Fischer and The Associated PressFebruary 18, 2026
5 hours ago
seahawks
North AmericaSports
The Seahawks are up for sale just 2 weeks after their Super Bowl win, gearing up for a mega philanthropic donation
By Andrew Destin and The Associated PressFebruary 18, 2026
5 hours ago
barr
AILabor
AI doomsday where many workers are ‘essentially unemployable’ is totally possible, Fed governor says
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 18, 2026
5 hours ago
robot
AICareers
Deutsche Bank asked AI how it was planning to destroy jobs. And the robot answered
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 18, 2026
6 hours ago
Mark Cuban, standing in a basketball arena, gives a thumbs up.
Arts & EntertainmentSports
Mark Cuban slams the NBA for focusing on tanking and ignoring the real issue for fans: ‘It should worry more about pricing fans out of games’
By Sasha RogelbergFebruary 18, 2026
7 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
AI
Thousands of CEOs just admitted AI had no impact on employment or productivity—and it has economists resurrecting a paradox from 40 years ago
By Sasha RogelbergFebruary 17, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
You need $2 million to retire and 'almost no one is close,' BlackRock CEO warns, a problem that Gen X will make 'harder and nastier'
By Sydney LakeFebruary 17, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump crackdown drives 80% plunge in immigrant employment, reshaping labor market, Goldman says
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 17, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
$56 trillion national debt leading to a spiraling crisis: Budget watchdog warns the U.S. is walking a crumbling path
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 17, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, February 17, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerFebruary 17, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Commentary
Something big is happening in AI — and most people will be blindsided
By Matt ShumerFebruary 11, 2026
8 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.