Crisis follows them
Every project they touch hits an emergency, every team they join has a falling-out, and they're always at the centre.
Rule out first
They're given the hardest projects. They're the person brought in when things are already broken. Bad luck runs in streaks.
What could explain it
ADHD in adults: Missed details and late starts create the emergencies, and they're superb once the crisis arrives.
Repetition compulsion: The same crisis keeps happening with different people, and the plot is recognisable.
Drama triangle (persecutor, victim, rescuer): Others get pulled into rescuer, victim or persecutor roles around them; the crisis is relational more than practical.
Borderline personality: The crises are about relationships, with intense alliances and ruptures and fear of being dropped.
Manic defence: They seem most alive in a crisis and flat or low when things are calm.
A next move
Look at whether the crises were already there before they arrived. Before means they're the fixer; after means they bring it. Then see whether the crises are about tasks (ADHD) or people (drama, borderline).
If it’s you
Am I more comfortable in a crisis than out of one?