When are you past it?

I have been looking for some time at the issue of leaders and when they "get past it" ie when they lose the confidence of their stakeholders and end up leaving their organisations ignominiously. Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, Lord Browne of BP, Tony Blair, Percy Barnevik of ABB are a few names that come to mind. 

The interesting question is why Gordon Brown hasn't got into the same position as yet; when on any analysis three months ago you would have said he was well on the way to the door.....

More anon.