Process improvement is a critical endeavor for organizations seeking to achieve sustainable performance in today's competitive market. However, a high failure rate of about two-thirds of process improvement projects remains a significant concern, negatively affecting organizational resources and undermining performance. Leadership emerges as one of the most vital factors influencing the success or failure of these initiatives. This study explores the role of leadership in contributing to process improvement project failures and highlights the technical and non-technical skills essential for reducing such failures. To achieve this objective, we conducted semi-structured interviews with process improvement practitioners from the manufacturing and service sectors. The findings reveal key leadership roles in failures, including lack of interest and support, ineffective communication, poor understanding of team dynamics, and inappropriate leadership styles. Additionally, the study identifies skills such as statistical analysis, structured problem-solving, communication, adaptability, and emotional intelligence, which are critical to driving process improvement teams toward success. Organizations can use the insights from this study to assess the competencies of their process improvement teams and design skills development training programs to bridge any gaps, focusing on the specific skills needed for successful improvement outcomes.